The Wizard's Apprentice
by EmeraldGuardian7
Summary: Harry had just wanted to stop Voldemort from getting the Philosopher's Stone. He'd never have thought that he'd end up falling through the Mirror of Erised to a world called Remnant. Meeting an old wizard and being taken on as his pupil, five years later he prepares to enter Beacon Academy as the esteemed Headmaster's Apprentice. What will this mean for two familiar teams?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ _Hey everyone, here's another Harry Potter & RWBY plot idea that wouldn't leave me alone. If any of you are following 'The Wizard and the Grimm' unfortunately that story is basically dead and if you are following 'The Return of Magic' its on hiatus for now. I'm not really sure what I'm doing with that second one. I sort of lost my inspiration for it at the moment, but am not quite ready to say I'll never go back to it. I'll have to see. _

_This story is a bit different than the other two, but I think it might be fun. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think of it. This is sort of a side project for the moment so please don't expect regular updates. It' more for whenever I have a little time, I might work on this a bit. I have other fics that are of a higher priority at the moment._

 _Anyway, thanks again for checking this out!_

* * *

Harry knew he was dead the moment his parents failed to appear in the mirror before him. The only reason Professor Quirrell hadn't killed him yet seemed to be because he couldn't find the stone and had got the idea stuck in his head that Harry would somehow be of use in this endeavor, or rather the shiver-inducing disembodied voice had seemed to think so.

Harry had just as much of an idea on how to find the stone as the next guy. This last protection had been set by Albus Dumbledore no less, what did they expect of him? How was he, a first-year Hogwarts student with average grades, supposed to figure it out. In the end, it was because of this train of thought that he was so surprised when his mirror reflection, instead of showing him standing with his parents as it had before, showed him holding the very stone Quirrell sought. His reflection winked at him, stowing it in his pocket while at the same time, the real Harry felt a very tangible weight appear on his person.

Harry felt his heart rate accelerate. He had just gone from a side concern with a reason to be kept alive, to the only obstacle between this madman and his prize. Why did this have to happen to him? Why did he feel the need to come down here and save the day himself? It seems like Quirrell wouldn't have been able to get it in the end anyway. Maybe he could find a way to let the crazy teacher let him go, and he could escape with the stone before he was any the wiser.

"What do you see, boy?" The turban-wearing professor demanded.

His first instinct was to yell ' _nothing'_ , but years of trying to avoid punishments at the Dursleys had taught him that it only made one look guiltier, not that his so-called relatives had ever actually cared if he was guilty or not. He needed to come up with a lie.

"I- I'm with Professor Dumble-"

"Look me in the eye when I'm talking to you!" He barked, causing Harry to flinch.

Unwillingly meeting his eyes, he reiterated his earlier statement, "I'm shaking hands with Professor Dumbledore. I think I've won the house cup."

The man scowled in disgust, flicking his wand and causing a wave of invisible force to slam into his chest. He stumbled back, barely managing to stay on his feet. As much as it hurt, he was more relieved that he seemed to be out of his direct attention, but unfortunately, it didn't seem like Harry was that lucky.

"He lies!" That hissing, bodiless voice spoke again.

Quirrell whirled back around to face him, wand raised, "You lied to me, Potter? Tell me! What did you see in that mirror?"

Harry took a few steps back, "I told you! I saw myself winning the house cup!"

"LIES!" The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor raised his wand threateningly, and Harry was once again sure he was about to die, but again something intervened. "Let me speak to him… face to face…"

"B-but Master. You're not strong enough!" Quirrell exclaimed.

"I am strong enough for this," it hissed.

The next few minutes gave Harry the perfect opportunity to try and run away, to try and find escape, but he didn't. He couldn't make himself move. It was if his legs were frozen to the ground, but it wasn't any kind of spell that held him there, it was a strange kind of horror he'd never experienced before.

Quirrel had started unwrapping his turban. While that in and of itself it didn't sound abnormal, there was something sinister about this action Harry didn't understand at first, though that soon changed. He realized immediately why he felt that way when he saw the face that was sticking out from the back of his Defense of the Dark Arts professor's head. It was ugly really, pale and splotchy, with two slits for a nose, and burning red eyes.

"Harry Potter," it's voice was barely a whisper and yet it seemed to fill the whole room. "We meet again at last."

"Voldemort," Harry said, only a small warble in his voice. He knew who it was as soon as he had seen him. Who else could it be? And to think he'd been living in the same castle all year… it sent shivers down his spine.

"You say my name," Harry thought he sounded surprised. "It seems you are quite brave, boy."

"Shut up!" Harry snapped back. While anyone who was observing the conversation between these two adversaries might have thought Harry was reacting to the mocking tone of the Dark Lord's voice, it was in fact how he'd addressed him. The only one who called him 'boy' was his uncle, something that always set him off.

"How dare you-" Quirrel shrieked only to be cut off by his master.

"Silence!"

Harry didn't know what to do. He couldn't help but hope that Dumbledore would come sweeping in at any moment and save the day, but as the minutes ticked by, he was starting to feel that it was less and less likely to occur. He couldn't help but wish to deepest depths of his heart that he were somewhere else. Somewhere he wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived. Somewhere without Voldemort. He knew it was his own fault that he was in this situation… his own fault that he hadn't stayed up safe in his bed. It was own fault for taking this unnecessary task on. Despite his current regrets and his dislike of his title, it wasn't that he didn't like helping people, trying to be a hero as some would say, but he wanted to earn it on his own. All the 'Boy-Who-Lived' title did was glorify his parents' deaths, that's why he really hated it. He wanted to be a hero on his own terms.

It was as these thoughts were passing through his mind that Harry's eye caught the mirror once again. For the third time since he'd first seen it, it showed a new image. It wasn't his parents or himself receiving the stone, instead, he was standing in front of a large building with sprawling grounds. For a split second, he thought it was Hogwarts, but he soon realized that wasn't the case. It didn't look the same even if the structure was somewhat castle-like. It was definitely much more modern looking with a large central tower. Unfortunately, he couldn't gather any more information than that, seeing as Quirrel stepped forward and blocked his view.

"Now, I won't treat you like a fool, boy," Harry grit his teeth but didn't rise to the bait. "I am certain you know why I am here."

"The stone," He said without inflection.

"Very good," Voldemort hissed. "I'm sure you have an idea of why I want it as well, but that is of no consequence at the moment. What you need to consider is what you want. I am the greatest sorcerer in the world, and can be quite… generous… to those who serve me. Help me get the stone, Harry Potter, and I will reward you most handsomely."

"I would never serve you!" Harry yelled back, appalled at the very idea.

Voldemort's eyes flashed, but his twisted smirk did not change, "Are you so sure of that? Even if I could return your parents to you?"

Harry stiffened, "Y-you're lying!"

"Are you sure you want to take the chance that I am not?" The face chuckled. "They may have defied me before, but if you just help me now, all their insubordination will be forgotten and I will return them to you… so why don't you hand me that stone in your pocket."

Harry took a step backwards, hand going aforementioned pocket on reflex. How had he known? It was almost like he could sense it… or he could read his mind. Was mind reading possible with magic? Not knowing what to do, Harry's eyes darted around the room, looking for an escape. He didn't find anything other than the exit still covered in fire.

Turning to run, he only made it up a few steps towards the door when it happened. He felt like he was somehow hooked around the middle, being pulled back with great force. Flying through the air, he hit the stone floor with a thump and clatter as the ruby red stone fell from his pocket and bounced just out of reach.

"Accio!" He heard the incantation and he saw the stone fly up into the air.

Despite the fact that he was now bruised and a bit battered… despite the fact that his head was swimming and he had not had a chance to catch his breath, Harry launched himself from the floor, tackling the stone with his body mid-air before it could reach the other wizard. Stumbling to his feet, he prepared himself to try and run again, even if it seemed hopeless. He wished he had his wand, even if he didn't know anything that could help, it was a comforting presence, but Quirrel had already taken that from him too.

"Get it fool!" The voice rasped out again angrily. "Kill the boy if you have to."

"Avada Kedavra!" He heard Quirrel shout.

Twisting to the side, he just barely missed being hit by some kind of green flash of light, and he was glad he did as it left a small crater in the floor where it hit. As lucky as he was there, it still caused him problems. The quick dodge had left him off balance so when his foot caught on the uneven stone floor, it was inevitable that he tripped. Stumbling backwards, trying and failing to regain his footing, Harry stretched out his arms to brace his fall. The problem was that his one hand still held tightly onto the Philosopher's Stone and he wasn't falling into the floor. He fell into the ancient magical mirror.

The invaluable stone that supposedly granted immortality hit the mirror surface with a crash, sending a network of cracks spreading across its surface. The stone of itself seemed to somehow get sucked within, out of sight.

"What have you done?" Voldemort's voice screeched, distracting him from the strangely alluring, if now fractured, image of that unknown building in the mirror again.

Even if he wanted to answer he couldn't, he had no idea. How had the stone just disappeared? It had been inside the mirror before… had he somehow sent it back? Could he get it back? Did he really want it back though? Now it was safe from Voldemort, right?

Harry didn't have any more time to think on this as with mixed voices both people inhabiting Quirrel's body let out a cry of rage. Raising their wand high and slashing it towards him. The wave of force threw him backwards through the air again. Expecting to smash into the mirror, he was surprised instead when he hit something much more malleable. It felt as if he'd fallen backwards into a pool or some other kind of water. Struggling against this strange sensation, he began to panic as he saw the strange silver substance began creeping over his body. It almost looked like liquid metal… like the mirror had melted itself down. Was that even possible?

He could hear the shouts of both Quirrel and Voldemort in the background, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. The metallic liquid was now up over his chest and approaching his face. Twisting and turning in order to get away, nothing worked. It was in his mouth now, he could feel it, the smooth cool texture, but surprisingly it seemed to have no taste. Then it was over his nose, and yet he could still breathe. Harry was confused, but before he could figure anything out, it had covered his eyes, and then everything went dark and he knew no more.

It was because of all this that Harry didn't see how he vanished inside the mirror. He didn't see how the mirror rippled once before returning to its previous solid state. He didn't see how the cracks in the mirror, that were still present, started to shine with a crimson light. He didn't see how that light grew brighter and brighter until with the sound of breaking glass the mirror exploded, the blast killing Quirrel instantly and causing the ceiling of the underground room to cave in. He didn't see the howling shade that fled the scene quickly or the horrified expression on Dumbledore's face as he finally arrived minutes later to view this disastrous scene.

Harry didn't see it because he was now far far away.

* * *

Harry hit the ground with a thump. His whole body hurt, and he was even feeling a bit sick. He had no idea what had just happened. He couldn't have put the sensations into words even if he wanted to. He was just happy that whatever the floor was made of, it was at least a bit softer than the hard stone that he had been expecting, but he wasn't sure how that could be the case. Had the floor changed? Had he just undergone some kind of magical travel like the floo and was now in a completely different place? Traveling by mirror didn't sound anymore strange than traveling by fireplace, right?

Forcing his eyes open, he blinked his eyes a few times in order to get his bearings. Surprisingly his glasses had held together throughout the whole ordeal as he was clearly able to see all the leaves above him. Slowly pulling himself into a sitting position with a groan, he continued to look around. Obviously, he was in a forest, the softer ground being the dirt below him instead of the stone of the room he'd been in previously. It seemed he had traveled somewhere then. He wondered how, though the real question was actually which forest he was in.

Harry's first thought was that he had somehow been transported to the Forbidden Forest that acted as one of the boundaries of the Hogwarts grounds, but he wasn't sure about that. The trees did indeed look old, but they didn't appear to even be the same type. They were more spread apart too, allowing a better view of the sky. Orange tinted light filtered down between them from the setting sun. This was another inconsistency since he was quite sure that it had already been dark out when he, Ron, and Hermione had left to go after the stone.

The stone!

Looking around frantically, he saw it lying a few feet away, glowing faintly. It took some effort, but he carefully crawled towards it. Stopping for a moment before acting, he eventually gathered the courage to touch it. Closing his hand around the famous gem, it's uneven surface neither particularly cool nor hot, he was surprised to see the glow disappear. What did that mean?

Knowing it was pointless to speculate on at the moment, he stuck back in the pocket from which it had first appeared when he'd looked in the mirror. Shuddering, he tried not to think about that specific magical artifact. While at first, back around Christmas, he'd been enthralled with it, seeing as how it was able to show him his family, now Harry wasn't sure he ever wanted to see it again, if it was even still in one piece.

Looking around once again, Harry tried to decide on his next course of action. Unfortunately, he still didn't know what would be best. He could stay put, possibly making any future rescuers have an easier time finding him, or he could choose a direction and hope that he was able to find civilization on his own.

What was it those instructional videos they'd once shown in primary told them in case they were ever stuck in a situation where they had to survive in the wilderness? He was pretty sure it was to stay put so that rescuers knew where you were, but he was also fairly certain that those instructions were more aimed at airplane crashes and the like. Dismissing that part for a moment, he tried to remember what else had been important. He was pretty sure it had been something to do with finding shelter and food maybe…. Oh and water! He was sure that was the most important one! Now… how was he going to do that? If he'd just kept a hold on his wand things would have been so much easier... not that he even knew that much magic yet at the end of his first year.

Seeing that his wilderness survival skills were severely lacking, Harry decided to try looking for a way out. If someone really was coming to save him, he severely doubted that his decision to wander off would stop them from finding him, especially with magic on their sides. So looking at his surrounding much closer, he tried to determine which direction was best. At first, everything looked the same, just trees, trees and more… trees...

He had an idea!

Wrapping his hand around a low hanging branch, he pulled down on it, testing its strength. To his dismay, it snapped easily under the weight, hitting the ground. Reaching up for the next lowest, it was just a few inches past where his fingertips could stretch. Scowling at the fact this plant was currently able to defeat him, he pushed off with his legs, jumping up to grab it. It took a few attempts, but eventually, he did manage to get ahold of the offending piece of wood. It sagged slightly under his weight, but it did hold.

He'd only maintained his grip for a few seconds, but already his arm was burning. At least the one time he'd been hanging onto his Nimbus 2000 racing broom from this position, it had been with both arms. Taking that thought in mind, he gripped the tree trunk between his two feet, and using that extra bit of friction, pushed upward just enough so that his other arm could grab another nearby branch. Now that he had a better grip, Harry managed to take his original hand and grab a higher limb of the tree a bit easier. Getting the one after that with his second arm took a bit more wrangling, namely having to swing precariously a few times in order to get the proper momentum, but he ended up managing that one as well. Things went much more smoothly after that, seeing as he now had branches to stand on as well. He found it a bit like climbing a ladder.

Before much longer, and with only a few more difficulties, Harry arrived near the top of his chosen tree. It seemed the experience climbing he'd gained when running from Marge's dog ripper actually had a positive impact on his life… who would have thought? Marge would be furious to know she'd helped him, even indirectly, not fall and break his neck. Pushing those thoughts aside Harry looked over the tops of the trees for anything he might recognize. He did find something, but it was not even close to what he was expecting. There was a giant cliff rising out of the forest in one direction. The other directions were covered in trees as far as the eye could see. For that reason alone he would have chosen to head towards the large rock outcropping, but that wasn't his main reason here. No, Harry was focused on what was on top of the large cliff. It was a building... but not just any building. It was a building that was very recently familiar to him. It was that castle-like structure he'd seen in the mirror both before and after it had been shattered. What this meant… he wasn't sure, but he was feeling very confident that if he wanted the answer to those questions, he would need to be heading towards cliffs.

Getting back down the tree after that was almost more taxing than the initial climb, but again he did indeed make it without any major mishaps. Taking a few minute break after that, Harry then decided he shouldn't waste any more time, and as such began his trek towards the unknown. Walking on and on through the almost identical looking forest, his mind began to wander.

Were his friends ok? Was the school? He didn't think Voldemort could do much seeing as how he hadn't got his hands on the stone, but he was still worried. Ron had been hit in the head pretty hard in that chess game. He'd seemed ok, only knocked out cold, but as Madam Pomfrey had explained to him in his physical check-up before he was cleared for the Quidditch team, head injuries were notoriously difficult to heal even with magic. He hoped he was ok. He figured Hermione was still ok, but anything could have happened after he'd gone on to face Quirrel. He hoped they had gotten out or that Professor Dumbledore had found them.

It was as these negative thoughts clouded Harry's mind, his worries and fears hanging around him like a dark cloud, that something took notice. He didn't realize the effect it was having on some of the creatures nearby. Creatures he had no idea even existed. Creatures that were drawn to his internal suffering. If it wasn't for the sudden growl, he wouldn't have had any warning at all.

Spinning to the side, the lunge of the Beowulf that allowed it to clamp its jaws down on his arm, was mostly avoided. It would have closed down around his torso instead if he hadn't moved. Letting out a cry, Harry struggled to free himself, but it seemed to be of no use. Shaking its head back and forth, he felt as if his arm was going to be ripped right off. With one last mighty shake, he was flung away through the air. It seemed to him that he was being thrown around a lot lately.

Struggling past the pain, a skill Harry had unfortunately picked up from his childhood, he tried to find the best escape route. Those plans died a moment later when he finally met the creature's glowing red eyes. He had already seen some pretty horrifying things that night, but for some reason, this creature chilled him to his bone. One might wonder how a wolf-like being could be more terrifying than Voldemort's face sticking out the back of another man's head, but somehow it was. Something about this wolf just screamed unnatural to him… like it didn't belong… like it was the antithesis of all that was alive. Harry didn't like it, and apparently, it didn't like him either.

It rushed at him again, and Harry tried to dodge. The burning stabbing pain that erupted in his side was his first indication that it hadn't worked. The beast hadn't even gone in for a bite and instead had hit him with a mighty swipe of its paw. Hitting the ground and rolling, his whole body was wracked by pain. With no time to recover, it was on him again, this time its mouth going for his torso like he had feared. Wedging his arm in such a manner, he got just enough leverage to hold its jaw back from slicing him in two.

Feeling it's putrid hot breath wash over his face, Harry struggled to breathe. The pain in his side flared each time he tried and he was starting to think one of his ribs had been busted. Letting out an excruciatingly painful cough, a splash of crimson escaped his mouth and splattered across the bone-like mask of the creature only inches away from him. He had some kind of internal bleeding… this was not good.

He needed a way to fight this thing off… he needed a weapon… but he knew he had nothing. The sharp edge of the Philosopher's Stone digging into his leg made it's known once again. It was essentially a rock, right? Maybe he could bash it over this thing's head. Struggling with his one free arm, he finally managed to wrap his fingers around the item in question and pull it free. What now? He could see now that it was clearly too small for his idea. Not noticing as some of the blood on his hand soaked into the stone, he did take notice when it suddenly began to glow once again.

What?

In his shock, Harry had slacked his grip and the monster took full advantage, pressing his teeth further into the young wizard. Letting out a cry of pain, he couldn't help but despair. He was losing his ability to hold this thing back and he knew soon enough he would be dead. Who would have guessed that he would survive meeting Voldemort once again, only to die in some random forest, getting mauled by a strange wolf instead?

He just needed a way to get this thing off! A million thoughts flashing through his head, both his panic and will to live asserting themselves, then something changed. The stone flashed even more brightly in colour and then there was a loud BANG. A wave of primal force came exploding out around him. The monster's head didn't stand a chance, exploding like a large melon hitting the concrete while its body was thrown backwards. Trying to regain his composure, Harry watched with a strange fascination as the creature's corpse began to smoke and then evaporate away a moment later.

What was this thing? His suspicions that the creature was not natural became even more certain in his mind. Still trying to recover, he found that after another few moments that his breathing has become no easier. It was at that point that he was pretty sure that his bleeding had come from a punctured lung. He needed medical attention. Coughing up more blood, he tried to figure out what his next best move was. After a seconds contemplation, Harry couldn't think of anything better than his original plan.

Staggering back to his feet, Harry wobbled dangerously but remained upright. Taking one step at a time, he managed to get himself into a rhythm. _Right foot, left… right foot… left._ It wasn't the best of situations, but he had to make it to that building. It was the only option. He had no ideas on how he would get up the cliff when he did arrive, but he didn't allow himself to consider that just yet. Pushing himself on, farther and farther, he didn't give in. Even as his head started to get fuzzy and his wish to lay down and give up was so strong he was sure it would now be what he saw in Mirror of Erised, he didn't give up. He didn't even falter… until he heard them that is… more howls.

Could he not catch a break? Was fate out to get him? He was already bleeding out as it was, did they really need to add more of those psycho wolves to the mix? Trying to speed up his progress, he managed to do a half limp half jog for a few more meters before his foot snagged on an unseen root and he went tumbling down. Hitting his injured arm, the surge of pain was so great that he almost missed the stinging in his leg indicating a new scrape. How much more blood could he lose? He was getting really really dizzy all of a sudden.

That's when he saw them again. At least five of those crazy wolves prowling out of the trees towards him slowly. Which was a better way to die? So far bleeding out seemed pretty peaceful, it was almost as if he was slowly falling into a deep sleep. That wouldn't be too bad. Being ripped to shreds by that monster had hurt a lot more. Would it just happen already… this anticipation was killing him...

Just before he finally fell into unconsciousness, Harry thought he heard something other than the rumbling growls of the monsters. It was a voice. A voice calling out to him. It was a woman. Now that he was dying… would he finally be able to meet his mum?

* * *

Glynda Goodwitch, Deputy Headmistress and Combat Instructor of Beacon Academy, tapped her foot impatiently as she rode the elevator up to the top of Beacon tower. She wasn't sure why Ozpin had summoned her. He knew she was extremely busy at the moment, preparing the final combat examinations for the four years of students currently attending the prestigious academy. Letting out a sigh, she straightened her posture and cleared her mind of any of that useless speculation. If her superior, and longtime friend, was calling for her, it had to be important.

With a loud ding, the doors opened and Glynda strode into the large office. Eyes scanning the room, she quickly found Ozpin, though he wasn't where she was expecting. He stood at one of the large windows, back facing her. With the way the sun was setting at the moment, all she could see was his silhouette. It cut an impressive image and tickled a sense inside her that she couldn't quite name. If she hadn't already known there was much more than met the eye with the Beacon Headmaster, she had a feeling she would have gotten that sense now.

"Professor Ozpin," she greeted politely. "You sent for me."

He didn't answer right away, so she walked over and stepped up beside him.

"There's something out there," he murmured.

"What do you mean?" She asked alarmed, her eyes scanning the horizon, but all she saw was the Emerald Forest running unbroken into the distance. Looking out the other window she knew would show her a good view of the bay with the City of Vale on the other side, while to the left of that would be the ocean. Ozpin wasn't looking in those other directions though, he was looking at the forest. "Is it a Grimm? Is a Goliath getting to close? I wouldn't think it would be able to navigate the trees."

"It's not a Grimm," he said, finally turning away to look at her. "I _sensed it_ , Glynda."

The Deputy Headmistress furrowed her brow, Ozpin's eyes boring into her from above his spectacles. What did he mean? She felt like she was missing something. He _sensed_ it? Her breath caught, he didn't mean…

"Y-you don't mean it has to do with… magic…" he didn't say anything but she knew from his expression she was right. "Is it one of the maidens? Fall shouldn't be anywhere near here at the moment and why would she be in the Emerald Forest anyway?"

"It's not Fall," he said simply.

"Than one of the oth-" Goodwitch began.

Ozpin cut her off here, "I do not believe it is the maidens."

"Than, is it..." she stopped for a moment, her voice hushed, " _her_? Would she really come here herself."

He smiled grimly, "I am more than certain that is not the case… however, this situation is quite perplexing."

"Sh- should we call James?" Goodwitch asked hesitantly. "I know he just got his new promotion, but we know he can be trusted. He might kno-"

"I do not believe that will necessary," he said. "If we launch our own investigation, maybe even send out young Qro-"

Ozpin stopped as an alert popped up on his computer. It wasn't just a normal one either, but a drawn-out alarm. Hurrying over, he flicked through the screen of his terminal.

"My sensors have picked something up in the Emerald Forest... Something human," the huntsman in green said.

"So there is something out there," Glynda said. "Who would it possibly be? A student? The forest is off limits during the examination period. It could be someone from outside the Kingdoms trying to enter, but this area is more heavily guarded than any of the actual borders."

He didn't respond, continuing to flick through screens of his terminal. A moment later, a brief flash of a screen containing hundreds of different video feeds popped up, but it disappeared quite quickly as one, in particular, was chosen. What they saw made Glynda gasp.

"It's a child!" She pointed at the screen. "What is he doing out there."

Ozpin typed something else into a holographic keyboard, "It appears like a pack of Beowolves are closing in on his location."

"He looks to be what? Ten? He will stand no chance!" She gripped her riding crop, a feeling of horror welling up inside her. While she often appeared stern and cold to the students under her care, there was a reason she had become a Huntress.

"Then I suggest you hurry, Miss Goodwitch," Ozpin said, a holographic map of the forest popping up beside him, a red dot blinking on the destination she needed.

Only taking two seconds to memorize the location, she turned. Instead of heading to the elevator, she threw it open one of the towers large windows and simply stepped over the edge. Activating her semblance, she allowed it to guide her towards the ground. For the sake of speed though, she pushed herself farther, not touching the Beacon grounds at all and going right over the large cliff where initiation usually started. Sweat beaded on her forehead at the extensive use of her powers, but speed was of the essence.

Finally touching down on the forest floor, she released her semblance, happy to feel the drain on her aura stop. Not wasting any more time, she began running all out, darting through the trees. It wouldn't take her long to reach the boy at her current speed, but whether he'd still be there alive was uncertain. She heard a strange bang in the distance that she wasn't sure about. It sounded almost like an explosion, but she had no idea where it would have come from. She pushed herself even harder. Getting closer to where she knew he should be, she heard howls just ahead.

Bursting through the trees, she took in the scene before her. She still wasn't sure if she was too late yet, but she was going to take care of the Grimm anyway. Flicking her riding crop one way and then the other, she blew away the creatures of Grimm that were descending on the young boy with her telekinetic semblance. Now infusing some fire dust into her attack she created a ring of flames around him, though keeping them far enough away so that he was in no danger.

Glynda watched with satisfaction as her fire tore the Beowolves apart, bursting into ashes one by one. Lowly Grimm like this posed no real threat to a professional hunteress like Glynda, but to a child, they could be deadly. Hurrying over to his side she knelt down to look at him properly. He didn't seem to be moving and with all the blood, for a moment, she feared the worst. Fortunately, she was soon able to pick out the shallow rise and fall of his chest.

Knowing that he was at least alive, she tried to take in the details of his injuries. One of his arms was mangled, she figured it had acted as a chew toy for one of the beowolves. Scowling, she continued to look him over. There were some marks that indicated one of the Grimm had tried to bit through his torso, but they superficial at best… somehow the beast had been stopped there. Another thing that drew her attention was the dark angry bruising already showing itself on his one side through his torn clothes. She had a feeling that he had a broken rib. All in all, despite the loss of a lot of blood, the boy could have been a lot worse. That being said, she was worried about the blood loss, he needed medical attention.

As if to challenge her very assertion about his state, she heard a strange gurgling sound come from his mouth as his breathing turned even more laboured. Blood dribbled from his lips. Eyes widening, Glynda tried to figure out what to do. He definitely needed help, but she truly didn't think he would make it to the hospital. There was one option that might stabilize him, but she hesitated. Civilians were generally not supposed to have their aura's unlocked. Even in case of medical emergency it was usually not a step that is taken. Having one's aura unlocked was usually reserved licensed Huntsman and those in training. It was not unheard of for a civilian to possess this trait, but they would most likely be closely monitored by law enforcement for the rest of their lives. The council didn't want criminals running around this kind of power, even if it inevitably happened anyway.

Despite these reasons, and knowing the guidelines were put in place for a good reason, Glynda found herself unable not to act when this boy's life hung in the balance. So, in a moment of weakness from her usual strict and rule-abiding self, Glynda performed the ritual.

 _For it is in passing that we achieve immortality._

 _Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all._

 _Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee._

She felt another huge drain on her aura that left her reeling for a moment, but it seemed to have worked. The boy glowed with a brilliant emerald light for a moment before it disappeared. She could already see some of his injuries healing. He would still need to be checked over by a doctor, but at least his bleeding had stopped. With an active aura, it should replenish quite quickly as well.

Pushing herself back to her feet, she used her semblance to gather the boy up before her. Strangely enough, as he was pulled into the air, she saw a small red stone tumble from his less injured hand. Eyeing it for a moment, she gathered it up, put it in her pocket, and started running once again with him floating along. It didn't take her that long to reach the cliffs, but since she wasn't alone she had to take the long way around. Finally reaching the campus, she entered the main building heading straight for the infirmary. Students froze in their tracks at the sight of her, eyes wide with fear that she was coming to punish them for something, but that soon changed into shock as they watched her levitate a child covered in blood passed them without saying a word. The only sounds in the hallway were the hurried whispers she left in her wake and the loud echo of her heels on the floor.

"You made it," Ozpin spoke. She would have jumped at his sudden arrival at her side if she weren't long used to it by now. "How is the boy?"

"He's lost a lot of blood," she explained tonelessly, though pausing for a second before continuing, "I unlocked his aura to keep him stable."

The Headmaster of Beacon quirked an eyebrow, "You know what tha-"

"Of course I know," she shot back, stopping before the closed door to the infirmary. "I'll have his condition assessed and if stable enough will prepare a medical transport to Vale General."

Ozpin put a hand on her shoulder, "If his life depends on it, call for the transport, otherwise please inform Dr. Cross that I would like his treatment taken care of here."

"Ozpin!" She looked at him in askance. "This is a school for Huntsman, he should be in a hospital. We will need to get the police invol-"

"He is the source," the Headmaster said quietly.

"What?"

"The feeling I had earlier," he explained. "This boy had something to do with it."

Eyes wide, she glanced over to where he was suspended in her. Turning back to meet her superiors eyes, she nodded once seriously, before opening the doors in front of her and entering the wing. The boy had already waited long enough for treatment. She truly hoped he was going to be ok. She had a feeling had a large role to play yet.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

* * *

"Do you feel prepared for tomorrow?" Professor Ozpin, the Headmaster of the prestigious Beacon Academy, asked him in his usual calm tone.

Harry just rolled his eyes. It had been just over five years since he had arrived here on Remnant after his fateful encounter with his parents' murderer, Lord Voldemort. The Deputy Headmistress and Combat instructor of Beacon, one Glynda Goodwitch, had saved his life from a bunch of Beowolves and brought him back the school infirmary.

Waking from that had led to several days of confusion and suspicion from all parties involved, especially when Harry had tried to figure out where on Earth he was… not that he was on Earth. It had eventually been Ozpin who had eventually come up with the theory about his supposed interdimensional travel. Goodwitch hadn't seemed to believe him at first, but on the Headmasters insistence of it, she had at least stopped voicing her denial. He was pretty sure she had eventually come to accept the idea though.

"Though I still don't get why I even have to take part, seeing as how I'm apprenticing directly under you, I'll be fine. I've been watching the initiations for years," Harry replied to the man who had become both a mentor and somewhat of a father figure to him over the years. "I don't think I have anything to worry about."

"As you know, even under the apprenticeship, you will be enrolled at the academy and the Beacon bylaws clearly state that all students must complete the initiation," he took a sip from his coffee mug. "As for the initiation itself, it is true you have had the unique privilege of witnessing it many times, but that may not be much of a help this year."

Harry's eyes widened. He already felt a pit opening up in the bottom of his stomach at both his words and the small smirk that was causing the corner of Ozpin's lips to curl upwards ever so slightly.

He didn't change the initiation just for him, did he? Ozpin could be a bit… eccentric… and he could only imagine what he had come up with in order to try and challenge him.

"What do you-" his question was cut off by a loud DING behind him.

Looking over his shoulder, he observed Professor Goodwitch exiting the elevator and approaching the two men.

He greeted her, "Professor."

"Mr. Potter," she returned, pushing her glasses up her nose. "The bullhead with the new prospective students has arrived. I would make my way down there if I were you."

There were moments like this where the huntress before him reminded him so strongly of another strict Deputy Headmistress he had once known. He wondered what Professor McGonagall would think of him comparing her to a woman who carries a riding crop around as a wand-like weapon. He shuddered at the thought.

"But I had to find out what he changed about th-" he began, glancing at his mentor who was watching the interaction impassively. She just gave him a single look over the top of her glasses and he already knew he had lost. "I'll be going now, Professor."

Sweeping out of the room, Harry nearly stumbled as he entered the elevator. It had just occurred to him how much what he'd done was similar to the way his least favorite professor from Hogwarts had liked to move. That put a whole new perspective on things, but for now, he was just going to try not to think about it. His old potions professor couldn't have been the only one to have made their robes billow out behind him like that… not that he was wearing wizards robes. He'd always thought they were a fairly ridiculous clothing choice, even back then.

Now he wore a crimson coloured fitted coat, open mostly at the front but with long tails at the back. He wore a nice shirt underneath that and dark black combat pants held up by a thick belt with several pouches on them. Stenciled in gold on the back of his coat was the roaring form of the Gryffindor lion. In his hand, he held a cane that at first glance was reminiscent of the one his mentor used. That's where the similarities ended though as it followed a similar colour scheme as the rest of his outfit, with a familiar red stone decorating the top. His weapon had a few other surprise features as well.

From a certain angle, it did look a bit like he was wearing robes and he knew it. It was an homage to his old life… the life he hadn't even gotten to live for a full year. He still thought about Hogwarts sometimes, but the old longing that used to build up within his chest had long since passed. He'd now spent much longer on Remnant than he'd ever spent at that old magical castle in Scotland. He'd built a life here, and even if this land were overrun with the horror that was the creatures of Grimm, he'd much rather take them than living with his old relatives, as strange as that may sound. Plus, even without Hogwarts, he'd found his own Wizard of Oz to teach him magic. Harry smirked to himself, that joke never got old.

Harry jumped slightly as another DING sounded, this one not from the elevator. Though that one did sound a second later, allowing him to exit as he fished out his scroll. He sighed, though smiling slightly, as he read the message. Kali Belladonna may be a really nice woman, but she could be a bit overbearing sometimes.

 _ **Kali:**_ _Good luck with initiation! I'm sure you'll do great. If Blake really does turn up, please tell her that her father and I miss her terribly. All we want to know is that she's safe. Even if she won't call us, can you please let us know if she looks ok? I hate to put this on you, Harry, but it's been 4 years… and we're worried. Thanks. Ghira wishes you his best as well. -Love Kali_

Harry frowned as he put the device away. He'd only met Blake the once, not too long after he'd arrived on Remnant and become Ozpin's apprentice. The White Fang, a group of peaceful Faunus civil rights activists lead by Ghira Belladonna, had been having a change in leadership. Ghira was stepping down and a tiger Faunus named Sienna Kahn was taking his place. Instead, Ghira was planning to take on the position of Chieftain of the island nation of Menagerie. As an influential leader in not only Vale but the whole world of Remnant, Ozpin made a visit shortly after Ghira's ascension to his new position in order to discuss application and enrollment to Beacon Academy for those on the island who wished it going forward. This is when he'd met both Blake and her mother Kali.

Kali had taken to Harry almost immediately. Being the same age as her daughter and apparently looking like he needed someone to take care of him, she had decided to take that role upon herself. Finding out how he been rescued by Professor Goodwitch and of the amnesia he had suffered after his injury, the story he agreed on with Professor Ozpin, she had proceeded to mother him all the more. By the time the visit was over, he had found himself leaving with mixed feelings. He had never had a mother figure in his life so having Kali try to take on that role had been nice, if a little bit overwhelming at times.

Arriving back at Beacon after that, Harry hadn't given much thought the Belladonnas for a while. In fact, it wasn't until about a year and a bit later that he heard their name again. Having walked in on the tail end of a call Professor Ozpin had been making with the Chieftain of Menagerie, he had heard the news that Blake, Ghira and Kali's young daughter, had run away from home to join the new White Fang. It had also been around that time that the White Fang had begun taking more violent actions instead of their previously peaceful protests. Of course, this only served to frighten the two parents all the more.

Somehow, and he still wasn't sure how, his eavesdropping on the end of that conversation that day led to Kali Belladonna getting his scroll contact number. This was the beginning of her keeping in regular contact with him so that she could continue to mother him even from halfway around the world. He had a feeling her actions, in part, came from her inability to take care of her own missing daughter. Harry didn't mind though and, in the end, the two had formed a good relationship, though, he would admit her yearly birthday gifts had become a bit much over time.

It had actually been while sneaking a peek at his mentor's files about his upcoming classmates that he had seen that Blake had actually enrolled too. Even if he probably shouldn't have, he'd soon sent a message to Kali letting her know. He knew it would be the first confirmed news they'd have had of their daughter in almost four years. He didn't have the heart to keep it from her. Based on what he'd read from the file, it also seemed like she had recently left the White Fang, a smart decision since they had only continued to sink lower and lower into the criminal underworld lately.

Brushing those thoughts away, Harry entered the main courtyard, the statue of the Huntsman and Huntress over the Beowolf drawing his gaze momentarily. Looking around, he saw he was too late. It seemed like almost all of the student had already moved on and no one had wanted to hang around the airship docks.

"Harry!" A voice cried excitedly and with a flurry of rose petals, a petite younger girl was at his side. She had fair skin, short black hair that faded to a darker red at the tips. She wore a bright red cloak around a gothic lolita style outfit and black stockings on her legs.

"Hello Ruby," he greeted her.

The girl in question had just been accepted into Beacon two years early by his mentor only a week before. Harry could admit that she was a prodigy and one of the only scythe wielders of their time, but he still didn't think that was the reason she had been accepted. He had a feeling it was more to do with her silver eyes than anything, even if Ozpin wouldn't admit it.

"What are you doing here?" She asked quickly.

He quirked an eyebrow, "The same thing you are, I would think."

Ruby pouted, "That's not what I meant. Why are you out here and not at the amphitheater already?"

"I was coming to see to everyone's arrival, but was running a bit behind," he said. "What about you? Shouldn't you be heading for the opening ceremonies yourself?"

Ruby's face turned as red as her cloak, she began poking two of her fingers together as she mumbled something under her breath.

Before he had a chance to ask her to repeat herself, another voice spoke up, "We… uh… may have gotten a little lost."

Looking over to the side, Harry finally noticed the other initiate for the first time. He was a tall boy. Taller than Harry, in fact, something he noticed to his consternation… not that he wasn't used to it by now. He had short but scraggly blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He wore a white diamond-shaped chest plate cut off above his lower abdomen and white pauldrons with rerebraces set under them. Underneath the armor, he looked to be wearing a black short-sleeved hoodie with detached reddish-orange sleeves. He wore regular looking jeans below that and had a sword of some kind sheathed to his belt.

"Oh. Sorry, didn't see you there." Harry said. "My name's Harry Potter. It's nice to meet another new potential Beacon first year."

"The name's Jaune Arc," he shook Harry's hand, his other busy scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, "What exactly did you mean potential student? Haven't we already been accepted?"

The two red clothed teens looked at Jaune in puzzlement, "There's still initiation. If you don't pass that, you won't be able to continue… that is if you're still alive."

"Oh," the blonde gulped audibly. "Right… initiation… how could I forget?"

Ruby seemed to accept his words readily, but Harry eyed him up silently. At first glance, Jaune didn't seem ready to him. He didn't seem to have the right headspace for it. He had no idea about his combat skills and thus couldn't judge, but his first impressions had been proven wrong in the past.

"Anyway, where's Yang?" Harry asked looking around for his other friend. "I'd figured she'd be here with you?"

Ruby's shoulders slumped forward and she attempted to scowl, though on the younger girl it looked more like a pout, "She ditched me! She ran off with a bunch of her other friends and left me here. I tripped over some crabby girl's luggage after that, and then she started yelling at me, waving a vial of dust in my face. I sort of sneezed and well… the vial exploded. Now, this girl hates me."

Harry gave Ruby closer look over to make sure she was ok. Dust explosions could be dangerous, but from what he could tell she was ok. Her clothes weren't even singed.

"I'm sure Yang was just trying to give you space to make your own friends," Harry consoled, thinking that was exactly what the blonde brawler would be likely to do.

"What? I don't need any more friends! I've got Yang… and you…" she squawked before trailing off. He had to jerk his head subtly towards their other companion before she forgot. "Oh! And Jaune too!"

The boy in question just laughed uncomfortably.

"Well it never hurts to meet as many people as you can," Harry said.

It was a lesson Ozpin had impressed upon him over the years. He'd only really made two friends during his whole year at Hogwarts and only from one house. He knew now how important branching out could be, and he had amassed quite the impressive list of contacts himself here on Remnant.

Ruby stuck out her tongue getting a laugh from Harry. Despite wielding a weapon almost twice her size and being able to cut down whole fields of Beowolves single-handedly, she was still surprisingly naive. Harry, as well as Yang, cherished that fact, especially since it wasn't a common thing to see in a world overrun by Grimm, especially for a Huntress.

"Well, even if I made a new friend today, that girl still counts as a negative friend. The net difference is still zero," she said.

Harry just shook his head, "Who was this girl anyway?"

He really only asked so he could go check up on her too. If Ruby was in the clear, there was a good chance this other girl had taken the brunt of the explosion. It would be irresponsible for no one to check on her.

"Oh, uhh… Weiss… Schnee… or something?" Ruby responded and Harry's eyes widened.

The Schnee Heiress? He hadn't expected that. He had seen that she was to be attending, but to think she'd be the one involved in a dust accident… it was almost ironic. Poor Ruby though, this girl could probably make her life hell if she decided to. He'd definitely have to go check on her.

"Well… you don't do things halfway, do you squirt?" He messed up her hair affectionately, causing the younger girl to struggle against him. "Why don't you two follow me to the Opening Ceremonies? We'll be late if we stick around here too much longer."

Ruby grumbled under her breath as they started walking, trying to fix her hair. At least she didn't clock you for touching it like a certain older sister would. Harry still thought Yang's care for her hair was borderline obsessed, but he'd found out the hard way that mentioning that to her was not a good idea.

"So… uh… I'm assuming you to know each other then?" Jaune spoke up on their way.

Harry nodded, "Soon after I started training with him, Professor Ozpin decided that he wanted me to get some experience with another huntsman sometimes, and got one of his colleagues, Qrow Branwen, to take me on for a while. I-"

"That's my uncle!" Ruby cheered, cutting him off.

"Yes, as Ruby so eloquently put, he is her uncle," Harry chuckled. "I guess sometime after I started training, people got worried I wasn't spending enough time with kids my own age, so they convinced Qrow to invite me to meet his nieces… and well, now I'm stuck with them."

"Hey!" Ruby pouted once again, only breaking the expression when Harry once again ruffled her hair.

"Wait!" Jaune looked confused. "When say Ozpin… isn't that the-"

"The Headmaster?" Harry confirmed. "Yeah, it is. In a way, you could say he… adopted me a few years back. I'm actually entering Beacon as his apprentice, so I won't be following the exact same path as you guys, though I should still be in your classes."

"Wow…" he smiled uncertainty. "You must be pretty good then."

Harry was used to the awed looks he got for this piece of information by now, and Jaune didn't disappoint but at the same time there was an undercurrent of nervousness present in his posture. It could just be related to the whole idea of initiation itself, but for some reason that he couldn't quite place his finger on, Harry was suspicious it was something more. Ozpin had taught him how to read people, something he still struggled with at times, but something about Jaune had caught his attention. He knew of the Arc family obviously, but not much of its newest generation. He'd have to peruse the blonde's file some more when he had a chance.

They continued on after that, Ruby chattering away about something she'd seen in a weapons magazine lately. Harry just let her talk, knowing it was rare for her to be able to open up to anyone like this other than with her sister. All the while, he led the two towards their destination and before they knew it, they'd arrived.

Reaching the crowded atrium, a yell of, "Ruby!" quickly flagged them down.

"Oh, that's my sister!" Ruby said. "It was nice to meet you Jaune. See you later!"

And in another flurry of rose petals, she was gone. The blonde boy seemed to deflate beside him so Harry patted him on the back, "Don't feel too bad. I don't think there is anything that can actually keep those two apart for long. Trust me when I say that being Ruby's friend means a lot to her. She hasn't had the easiest of times making friends over the years."

"Oh… ok. I guess," he still looked nervous. Harry wasn't going to say anything but he knew the blonde would have to get some confidence soon or he wouldn't survive long as a Huntsman. "I just don't know where else I can find a nice quirky girl to talk to."

He couldn't help but laugh, "I better go say hi. It was nice to meet you, Jaune. Oh, and finding a quirky girl? We're at a school full of Huntresses… they're all quirky."

With a final wave, he moved off to go find his friends. He was tempted to tell Yang what Jaune had said but figured he better not. She'd probably have found it amusing, like he had, anytime it was not directed a Ruby. She could be a bit protective and Harry knew he was probably going to have to stop her from actually murdering the first boy to ever break her heart… not that he wouldn't be tempted to the same.

If you'd asked him while growing up at the Dursleys', he never would have thought that he'd know what it was like to have a sibling, but Ruby had quite quickly become like a little sister to him. Despite everything he had lost coming to Remnant, he had gained a lot more. Ozpin had adopted him but was more like a grandfather to him than anything. While many would think Glynda may have taken on a somewhat maternal role after she had saved him, he would say she was more like an Aunt… a proper one this time, unlike Petunia. She did her best to keep her professional attitude at all times, but he knew she had a bit of a soft spot for him, even if she wasn't the best at showing it. That being said, he didn't expect her to be lenient on him here at Beacon, in fact, he assumed she would be even harder on him if she caught him breaking the rules.

Much like his actual nieces, Harry in a way considered Qrow a bit like an uncle. He was pretty sure that he'd managed to worm his way, at least a little bit, into the drunk's heart. After getting to know his daughters, Taiyang had always been inviting to him. To his mortification, the father of two had also given him the talk several years ago since up until that point he hadn't really had any good male role models in his life. Of course, Kali Belladonna had been the most mother-like figure to him and seemed to enjoy spoiling him, even from afar. All in all, he still felt he'd gained a lot since coming to Remnant. It may not be traditional, but it was like he had gained a family.

"You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!" A white-haired girl was scolding Ruby by the time he arrived at the sisters' side.

It barely even took him a second to recognize her. Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. He'd never met her before but had attended one of her concerts once. The tickets had been a gift to Ozpin after he'd finished brokering a successful deal between the SDC and the school. If there was only one thing he knew about her for sure, then it would be that she was indeed quite the skilled musician.

"Oh, my god," Yang said. "You really exploded."

"It was an accident!" Ruby exclaimed. "It was an accident!"

Seeing the girl in white pull out what looked to be a dust safety pamphlet titled 'Dust for Dummies', Harry intervened, "Ah, Miss Schnee, correct? How are you?"

Weiss' mouth clicked shut from whatever she was about to start saying, looking over and blinking at him, it seemed to take a minute for her to process his arrival, "At least some people around here seem to know how to address a lady, and I am fine, thank you. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

Harry fought to keep his expression pleasant during her first statement. He could easily see how she and Ruby would rub each other the wrong way. The young scythe wielder's awkward disposition would probably be enough to annoy this girl a lot. At least she seemed polite enough after her introduction and he was pleased to conclude she was at least honest in that regard.

"Harry Potter," he held out his hand.

Her light blue eyes widened as she placed her dainty hand in his. He could tell she recognized his name but didn't want to bring up his apprenticeship out of the blue. Her momentary flash of indecision was somewhat amusing to see in someone usually so used to having everything under control. Even her appearance showed that. There was no doubt that was a true beauty, he was tempted to say she looked almost angelic. She had pale skin, unblemished except for a crooked scar that ran vertically over her left eye, and long white hair pulled up into a ponytail bound by an icicle themed tiara. What surprised him the most about that was how her hair was done off centre. It looked fine, but it seemed so contradictory to the pristine condition of the rest of her look that it threw him off a bit. He was curious about why she would have made that decision.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Potter," she responded a moment later.

Harry smiled, "I had heard about the little… accident... earlier and just wanted to check that you were fine. As I'm sure you already know, dust explosions can be quite volatile."

"Of course, I'm fine. Thank you for asking," she preened slightly before her eyes locked onto Ruby standing near him. "Though I'm sure none of us would need to worry about this is if _SOME PEOPLE_ weren't so irresponsible!"

"I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding, but I will make sure to speak to my friends about it," Harry said, Weiss' eyes widening even more as he said that. Yang looked a little pissed about his comment, but he shot her a look that clearly said not to start something at the moment, "Ruby here was invited to Beacon two years early by Professor Ozpin himself. She's quite the little prodigy!"

The girl in white's expression turned much more analytical as she looked at the two half-sisters. At least her expression didn't look as condescending now.

"I see," she finally said with a polite if strained smile, "It can be forgiven this time I guess. Just be careful in the future! It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Potter."

"Likewise, Miss Schnee," she drifted off, Harry keeping an eye on her as she did.

"I'll make it up to you!" Ruby called after her, but Weiss didn't acknowledge her.

"Ditching us for the Ice Queen, I see?" Yang said once the white-haired girl was out of earshot. "Who knew you went after the high society folks."

Harry snorted, "Maye when she drops the attitude, she seems a little tightly wound for my tastes."

"Hmph," Yang's eyebrows were furrowed, "I don't know why you stopped me from saying something, I'm not going to let her talk bad about Ruby. If she's got a problem with my sis, she's got a problem with me!"

"Guys…" the girl in question whined, obviously displeased that they were talking about her as if she weren't there.

"I was doing this for Ruby!" Harry pressed. "She was a Schnee which means she could easily make problems for Ruby going forward if she wanted to. I was trying to smooth things over before it got to that point."

Yang cracked her knuckles, "If the little princess even thought of doing that, I'll show her who she's messing with!"

Harry sighed, "And here's the attitude that gets you into fights that trash whole nightclubs."

"How'd you know about that?" Yang asked quickly, her eyes widening.

"I have my ways."

"Shit!" She swore. "Ozpin knows about that?"

"You're lucky you weren't arrested," he said idly, ignoring her question. It was actually unlikely, Junior wouldn't want the police sniffing around his business, no matter the reason.

"I had a good reason," she said defensively. He had a very good idea of why she was there and was worried Yang was going to end up getting herself hurt. For once, he was cursing Ozpin for being so tight-lipped about Raven Branwen.

"You could have been killed," he continued quietly.

"I think I handled myself perfectly fine," Yang boasted. That hadn't been what he meant. Junior could easily put a hit out on her after the fact if he wanted to, but that too was unlikely. Killing a huntress, even one in training, would bring way too much heat down on him. He'd probably just let the issue go, especially considering Yang's age, but he knew she still needed to be careful.

"Yang," he said seriously, "just promise me you'll be careful… please, if not for me, for Ruby."

The young reaper had buried her head in her hood by this point but it seemed to do the trick as the blonde's expression softened. Not saying anything she just nodded. A small squeal of feedback was heard throughout the room which made some people wince but it was effective in gathering their attention to the stage as it indicated that the microphone was now on.

"I'll... keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step," Ozpin said, his voice monotone, not giving anything away.

He could see a mixture of confused and disgruntled faces in the crowd. It didn't really surprise him, for those who understood the message, his mentor's speech was a sobering reminder of the realities of the job, while those who didn't, well, they probably weren't happy with the suddenly sombre turn the atmosphere had taken.

"You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed," Glynda said before shutting off the microphone and stalking off.

"It seemed kind of… off," Yang commented with a frown. "Do you know what he was talking about, Mr. Apprentice?"

"I'm not sure I should reveal the secret to you if you didn't find it on your own," he responded in a mock-serious tone.

She grinned at him in such a way that had alarm bells going off in his head. He'd grappled with the girl enough over the years to know when to be wary. Harry just shook his head, "It's a warning."

"A warning?" Ruby cut into the conversation, looking interested.

"Yeah," he affirmed. "He's saying that if you have come here thinking that all you're ever going to need is what is taught in class than you won't go far. That if you came here thinking what Beacon teaches you will give you a purpose than you are in the wrong place. The only true way to be successful is to know yourself and what drives you. With that understanding, you can always push yourself to be better, otherwise, you're just settling for mediocrity."

Both girls blinked at him in surprise, as if not expecting an actual explanation from him.

"Isn't that a bit much to expect from a bunch of first-year students?" Yang asked sounding hesitant.

"Yes and no," Harry shrugged. "You don't need to have everything completely figured out right at this moment, but it's something to think about. Soon enough you'll all need to know what drives you to be a huntsman or huntress. All you need to remember is that your drive needs to come from within not something you learn from a textbook. In the end, this a job to defend the people, it's not strange to think they expect a lot from us."

Both and Yang and Ruby looked to be deep in thought after that so Harry left them to their contemplations. They reached the ballroom where they were to stay for the night, including him, even if he had his own room he could return to. 'All part of the Beacon Initiation experience,' Ozpin had said.

Telling them he'd catch up with them later, Harry began moving about the room. Looking around, he took in all those vying for a spot in this year's class. While not everyone was seventeen like himself, he already knew that almost no one who wasn't was going to make it the next day, except for perhaps Ruby. The way he'd seen it happen in the past, if they weren't good enough to make it through initiation the first time, they didn't tend to make it on their subsequent attempts each year after, despite their ability to make such attempts. Most didn't even bother.

Harry still couldn't believe it was finally his time to go through Beacon himself. Living here for so many years yet not being a student made the situation a bit weird. It was his home, but now also his school. Shaking his head, he continued to observe. That Jaune boy had seemingly wandered back over to Yang and Ruby to talk. He could pick out the Schnee Heiress standing in one corner, a few people vying for her attention and failing as it was seemingly focused somewhere else. Following her line of sight, he saw another girl surrounded by even more well-wishers. He would have been surprised to see the three-time victor of the Mistral Regional Tournament here at Beacon if he hadn't snooped through the applications earlier.

Apart from that, not much else stood out. There was a girl with short orange hair and turquoise eyes who was nearly bouncing off the walls with energy, excitedly chattering to a slim boy in green that had long black hair with a single pink streak at the front. From what Harry could tell, he didn't seem to say much. In another corner, a big heavily muscled boy and his friends were laughing loudly about something. He recognized that one immediately as Cardin Winchester.

The Winchesters were a fairly wealthy and influential family here in Vale. Cardin's father was well known to have the ear of the Kingdom's council and his hatred for all things Faunus had caused some stagnation in policy over the years. Vale was still considered one of the most Faunus friendly Kingdoms in Remnant, but there hadn't been any improvements in policy made in years. As Headmaster of the Kingdom's academy, Ozpin didn't have any direct impact on the politics of the Kingdom, but any suggestions he put forward were usually taken into consideration. He was known as an ardent supporter of equality for all citizens and as such the Winchesters had done everything in their power to reduce his influence. Unfortunately, it seemed that it wouldn't even be over after the current head of the family finally retired either, seeing as how the eldest son had been moving into the political sphere lately too. Harry had yet to see if Cardin followed his family's views on the Faunus, but he didn't have high hopes.

Speaking to a few other random people after that, it was soon time for dinner where he rejoined his two friends. The cafeteria food was pretty good, he'd heard some say it was better than most restaurants out there. It was just another example how the Kingdoms reserved only the best for its huntsman. While the building was modern, having big windows, and no enchanted ceiling, it had always reminded him a bit of eating in the Great Hall. Ozpin wasn't much of a cook, so he'd taken to eating amongst the students over the years. It had given him a chance to familiarize himself with many of those up in coming in their profession, which could be quite valuable in the future. He was sure there wasn't a single huntsman who had passed through this academy in the past five years who he wasn't familiar with.

He had managed to catch a glimpse of an older Blake Belladonna at one point too, a black bow in her hair hiding her feline ears. He hadn't got a chance to see her long, but from what he could tell she looked alright.

 _ **Harry:**_ _Blake is here. She looks well from what I can tell. Will try to approach her after initiation. Don't want to distract her beforehand. Thanks for the well wishes. Say hi back to Ghira for me._

"It seems someone is finally ready to join in with the big kids this year," a voice teased from behind him, only getting an eye roll from the black-haired boy as he put away his scroll.

"Hey Coco," he responded by spinning in his seat.

She had fair skin, short dark-brown hair, and eyes that match. There were a few strands of hair left significantly longer on the one side of her face that were dyed an orange colour. She had all kinds of accessories on her person showcasing the bullets she used for the giant minigun she kept transformed as her purse, as well as dark-brown beret and some wire-rimmed aviator sunglasses that she wore, even inside.

"Come on, let's see it," she said motioning for him to stand. He could see Ruby and Yang watching this new confrontation in confusion.

Letting out a sigh, he stood up, making eye contact with the cute brown haired rabbit Faunus behind Coco, "Hi Velvet. How was your summer?"

"It was good, Harry," she replied with a smile.

"Enough chit-chat," the other girl replied. "You can catch up later."

She motioned for him to spin on the spot with her hand. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes again, he complied with her silent demand, spinning around and letting her look him over.

"Hmmm, so this is what you finally chose for your huntsman outfit…" she had her hand on her chin and her other hand held her sunglasses down enough so that she could easily see over the top of them.

"Thoughts, oh so great master of fashion?" He asked sarcastically.

Her lips quirked into a small smirk, "I think you should have brought me along when you went so I could save you from this kind of disaster."

"Oy!" Harry mock-glared at her. "What's so wrong with this?"

"Really? I thought even you would have figured it out on your own seeing as flashy it is? Red? Really? And gold stenciling?" She was the one shaking her head this time.

"This coming from someone who uses a purse that transforms into a giant minigun?" He retorted.

"Hey, it may be big but at least it's got style."

"Of course, Coco," Harry really did roll his eyes again this time.

A cough from the other side of the table drew his attention back to his friends, "Oh, sorry guys. Yang. Ruby. This is Coco Adel, Beacon's resident fashionista, and Velvet Scarlatina, who I believe has recently taken up some photography. Don't be surprised if she wants to get some pics of your weapons at some point. They're in their second year."

Velvet sent him a surprised look but he just gave her a smile.

"Coco. Velvet. These are my friends Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao-Long," he finished.

"Ooo new firsties," Coco grinned at the two half-sisters. "Good luck at initiation tomorrow. If you end up making it, and anyone ever gives you any trouble, make sure to give team CFVY a shout."

"Don't go saying stuff like that," Harry crossed his arms. "You're going to make them think that they will have problems.

She shrugged, "It's all inter-team politics. It happens. Anyway, Velvet and I have got to go find the boys. See you later, Harry. Good luck tomorrow girls!"

Velvet waved a quick goodbye as well before hurrying off after her team leader.

"Why didn't she wish you luck too?" Ruby asked, confusion clearly written across her face.

"She knows I don't need it," he said confidently only to feel something smack him in the face.

"Hey!" He spluttered for a few seconds wiping what he soon realized to be mash potato off his face. It seemed that Yang had flung it at him with her spoon. "What was that for?"

"Just making sure your head isn't getting too inflated there Mr. Headmaster's Apprentice," Yang replied, sticking out her tongue. "What does that even mean now that you're at Beacon?"

"Well, basically I am training under Ozpin directly to study for my huntsman license instead of through the Academy. It just so happens that Ozpin has me attending classes as part of his training. In that way, I'll be just like you guys, but won't have a partner or a team."

Both girl's eyes widened and Ruby even let out a small, "No!"

Harry blinked at them in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"But now you can't be on a team with me and Yang!" Ruby looked up at him, her silver eyes shining. Damn it, why did she always have to pull out the puppy dog eyes.

"And isn't your team one of the most important parts of being a huntsman?" Yang added.

"I'll admit, while the formation of a team is very important for your educational years and many teams do continue to work together after that, many others do not. Just look at Qrow or even your father, they both take solo jobs on all the time," he said carefully, trying to tactfully step around the reasons why their parents' team was in tatters in the first place. "In many respects, the formations of teams or even partnerships is angled more at setting up a support system for Huntsman. As we all know, the job can be a mentally straining one."

"Who's going to have your back then?" Yang asked with a surprising intensity.

"I'm hoping my friends will," he met her gaze. "I will be assigned to assist a team with certain tasks throughout our time here at Beacon but for everything else, I will be going solo. Professor Ozpin has worked hard at preparing me for this. In a way, it suits my role better, as I'll most likely be doing small missions for him anyway."

"Missions! You're going to be going on solo missions already?" Ruby asked excitedly, and Yang still looked concerned.

Harry paused for a second to formulate an answer. He shouldn't have given that much away. The work he did for Ozpin was supposed to be very hush hush. Hopefully, they wouldn't push too far on the matter.

"After you are placed on teams, you will both end up doing training missions of your own later this year with your teams. They aren't the same as the missions licensed huntsman go on, it's a learning experience," he said.

The girls seemed to relax at hearing that. The missions Ozpin sent him on weren't training missions though, but they didn't need to know that. If they had assumed that fact, based on his words, well, all the better.

"Come on," Harry said standing. "We're going to have to get ready for bed soon and head to the ballroom. I'm going to try and beat the crowd."

The two girls followed after him and soon enough Goodwitch was directing people to put their equipment into the Beacon locker room. Doing so, he split up from his friends afterwards to freshen up in the buildings public washroom. Exiting in his nightwear several minutes later, Harry sighed as he saw Ozpin leaning against the wall, hands on his cane. It seemed his night wasn't going to be as easy as he thought.

Motioning for him to follow, Harry fell into step beside him, "What's up?"

"You know of the robbery young Miss Rose was involved in stopping earlier this week?" He asked.

"Of course," Harry confirmed. "The one with Torchwick."

The Headmaster nodded, "The police finished rounding up his accomplices and have been keeping them in lockup ever since. It's become apparent that Torchwick hired his help from Mr. Xiong."

Harry quirked an eyebrow, "That doesn't seem like Junior."

"Indeed," Ozpin stopped, turning to face his apprentice. "I need you to check in on him, see what he has to say for himself about the situation."

"Tonight?"

"It would be prudent to remind him as soon as possible why law enforcement usually turns such a blind eye to his activities in this Kingdom," Ozpin confirmed.

He shook his head ruefully, "You couldn't have told me this before I got ready for bed? I guess I'll go prepare."

"Good luck," he said as Harry headed back towards the locker room. "Oh, and Harry. Your personal room will continue to remain sealed until initiation has been completed so don't get any ideas later tonight. We'll be starting at 10:00 am sharp."

Scowling in response, he nodded and continued on his way, trying to ignore the small smirk on his mentor's face. Of course, Ozpin would make sure it was sealed. Even with doing a late mission the night before initiation, he wouldn't let him sleep in his own bed. Sometimes he thought the old wizard was a bit of a sadist… or just stupidly obsessed with traditions. At least he already had all his gear in his locker for initiation, otherwise, he'd have been forced to try and break into his room.

Switching back into his gear didn't take long. Clipping his belt on tight and double checking each of the pouches, he slid his coat over his shoulders next. Making sure it was laying flat and gripping the top of his cane, he slammed the locker shut and moved out.

Deciding to skip the elevator, Harry strode down several twisting hallways and unknown staircases. Before long he was walking through a large garage-like structure that most students would never even realize existed. Several powered down bullheads were resting inside. Spotting what he sought, Harry crossed the floor to stop before a large mass covered by a sheet. Grabbing hold, he gave it a big yank and when the sound of rustling fabric had stopped, a shining red motorcycle came into view.

The vehicle before him was one example of the over the top birthday gifts that Kali Belladonna liked to send his way. You might be wondering how she could do such a thing seeing as how the Faunus were supposed to be quite disadvantaged, but for Ghira, being the Chieftain of Menagerie did come with its perks. It wasn't like it was new either. According to Kali it was broken down and sitting unused from Ghira's time as head of the White Fang.

He still wasn't sure how she'd gotten it sent to him though. He'd tried not to think about it too much, and soon enough Yang had been dragging him over so they could restore it. It had taken them a few months of learning but eventually, it had been up and running. She had also been the one to help him give it a paint job and even create the small stencil for the side that spelled out 'Daring Nerve & Chivalry' in looping gold letters.

Swinging his leg over the seat and getting comfortable, Harry brought it to life with a roar. Making sure that his cane was strapped to the side, he pulled out of the parking spot. Tapping a button on his scroll, a door opened slowly before him leading into the darkness. Stowing the mobile device, he shot out the door onto the rarely used service road leading around the bay and back to Vale propre. Almost all travel to and from campus was done by bullhead, but the road itself was maintained. Leaning forward on the handlebars, he accelerated on towards his latest mission.

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ _First of all, I wanted to say a huge thank you for all the responses I got for the prologue alone of this story. I was blown away. I don't think I've ever gotten so much on the first chapter of a story alone._

 _Anyway, here is the first real chapter of the story. It is set just over five years later from when Harry arrived on Remnant and he is now 17 it is the beginning of the new school year. I'm sure a few of you have noticed the pairing listed for this story as well. Let me just say that certain characters (cough… cough… Cinder… cough…) will be a bit OOC when they eventually appear. Not too much compared to how they appeared in early volume but they will definitely be OOC compared to what we've learned in later volumes. I have a whole in-depth background for these characters already prepared so I'm hoping it works out well. I'll try my best to keep everyone else in character but there will also be minor influences on other characters like Ruby and Yang since Harry has been involved in their life earlier on, but all of that should become apparent._

 _Again, thanks for reading and please leave me a review to let me know what you guys think._


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ _Here's another chapter for you guys. I just wanted to say a quick thanks for the huge response I've gotten so far. I appreciate all the follows, favorites, and reviews I get. Please keep them coming, I love to hear your thoughts on each chapter._

 _I will say that this coming chapter, right off the bat you will notice some changes to a canon character (Cinder). I have given her an AU backstory and while I'm trying to keep what we see on the outside for some of her personality intact, the foundation of who she is, is being changed to fit this story. So I will state this once before I get complaints about it, this story is obviously an AU (s in non-canon). Please don't waste both of our times if the only reason you are reviewing or PMing me is to tell me something along the lines of 'that's not how she would act… that's not canon!' I know, I'm warning you all in advance, Cinder will be OOC. I'm doing my best so that she appears somewhat the same on the surface at least._

 _That being said, feel free to leave reviews giving me your opinion on her characterization. I'd love to hear what you all think about that._

* * *

 _ **DISCLAIMER:**_ _This chapter will have some sexual content at the end. Please be advised of this before reading. It's only my second time ever trying to write a lemon, so its something I'm still trying to improve on. There may be the occasional sex scene in this story but it won't be ever single chapter, and sometimes will just cut away in the future when it's not relevant._

* * *

The woman currently known as Cinder Fall stirred her drink in annoyance, though she didn't show it on her face. Here she was forced to try and smooth things over with a lowly information broker all because Roman had screwed up. Glancing around her, she resisted the urge to scoff at the state of the venue she was in as well. It was a wreck, and Junior's goons in suits were currently trying to do construction work in the background.

Cinder froze with her drink halfway to her lips. She held herself perfectly still as she felt that… _thing… that parasyte…_ shift inside of her. The burning hunger flared up again as well. She hated this. She had never trusted Salem, but she had been so sure that she was the one gaming her, not the other way around. Now she was stuck.

She didn't care overly much if people got hurt on her search for power, but she didn't relish it either. She knew from the onset of her going after the Fall Maiden that she would be stealing the power from the other girl, but that hadn't bothered her. If she couldn't hold onto it in the first place, she didn't deserve it. She could live out the rest of her life, still having use of her semblance. Cinder hadn't had that choice back then. She had been completely powerless… and cast aside.

She'd taken the enchanted glove from her master when the time came, already planning her own defection. She had no intention of helping that freak of nature in the destruction of Vale, not because she had any urge to protect the citizens of said Kingdom, but it really didn't serve her any purpose.

The problem was that she hadn't realized several things. She hadn't realized until it was too late was that the transfer was going to kill the girl. She hadn't realize that the transfer was going to be made by a Grimm. She hadn't realized that the Grimm was then going to be stuck residing in her very body. She hadn't realized she was going to be destroying her last chance for freedom...

The disgusting little thing was like a ticking time bomb inside of her. The moment she tried to strike out on her own, Salem would pull the trigger, and she would be dead, the maiden's power free to implant in anyone she chose. The whole point of working with her had been so nobody could treat her like this again and yet here she was… stuck. Her only chance at survival, as much as she loathed it, was to stay useful to her master.

Pushing the uncomfortable feelings away, Cinder continued her drink, placing it back down on the bar afterward. She could feel people's eyes on her as she sat there. She had no misconceptions about her beauty. Ever since she'd begun the transition from a girl into a woman, both men and women had either lusted after or been jealous of her looks. It was something she'd taken pride in and used as a weapon when needed. It was something Salem had taken advantage of too, having her seduce and kill all manner of important people for her. She wasn't one to usually go that far, but in the pursuit of power, she hadn't wavered. She was never going to feel that powerless… that worthless ever again. Plus, it wasn't like the people she'd ended had been innocent either. Cinder didn't delude herself, working with Salem was like making a deal with the Devil himself.

She hoped Junior took notice of her soon. Her current attire was entirely for his benefit. She was sure he would come by to try and pick up the lonely and gorgeous young lady sitting at his bar eventually. All previous business with him had been conducted through Roman therefore he would have no idea of what he was actually getting himself into when he approached her. Luckily, once they were alone, she could get straight to business. She was glad she wouldn't actually have to sleep with him. Based on the pictures she'd seen of him, he didn't seem to be her type.

"I'm here to see Junior," a voice said just down the bar from her, grabbing her attention.

He was young, with messy dark hair on his head, and a pair of modern looking glasses sitting perched on his nose. He wore a long red coat with a gold lion stenciled on the back. Something about it looked familiar, but she couldn't place it at the moment. Even with his somewhat short and thin stature, she could tell this was a huntsman or at least one in training. Apart from the flashy getup, it was clear in the way he held himself. It wasn't strange for a huntsman to come to Junior for information, so it wasn't that interesting, but watching this was better than nothing.

"The boss isn't in," the bartender said with a grunt. The man looked annoyed. Based on where he was positioned, Cinder had a feeling he'd just been interrupted on his way to try and flirt with her. That would have been tiring. It seemed she owed the kid for delaying that at least, "And even if he was, he doesn't talk to people without a scheduled meeting. He's a busy guy."

She watched the boy quirk his eyebrow in response. Drumming his fingers across the counter top, the last tap seemed to hit it with a much greater force than she expected. Cinder's body stiffened once again as something seemed to ripple out of that single tap of his finger in a wave. It was invisible, but she still felt it, and she had no idea what it was. That constant burning hunger she had felt since she had gained only a half of the Fall Maiden's powers seemed to roar to life at that moment as well. She had to grit her teeth so that she didn't whimper out loud.

Refocusing on this interaction before her, suddenly much more interested, she caught a small smirk slipping on the boy's face as he glanced over at a door that led to the second level. She knew that was where Junior was currently residing in his office.

"I think your boss will want to see me," he pressed. "Tell him Harry Potter is waiting to see him."

Cinder's body stiffened for the third time that night, but this time it was for completely different reasons. Her eyes darted over the boy… Harry… once more with a feverish intensity. It couldn't actually be him, could it? It had taken everything she had not to show a reaction when Salem had given the briefing a few years earlier about Ozpin taking on an apprentice under this name. That strange act had surprised her master, and as far as Cinder was aware, Salem still didn't know what had possessed Ozpin to make this decision. If the stories about Ozpin's use of magic were true, Cinder thought she might have a rough idea of what was going on, that was if this Harry Potter was who she thought he was.

She was well aware of the identity of the Boy-Who-Lived. She had grown up with the stories about him… back when her parents had still cared… before she'd been discarded like yesterdays trash… all for being a squib. Her jaw clenched just by thinking of that term, it was something she had thrown away a long time ago… just like her old identity… and her old world.

She had power now, the Fall Maiden's magic as her own… at least partially. Her real question was how Harry had arrived here on Remnant if it really was him of course? She was intrigued and needed to find more. The fact that he had foiled her parents' stupid little blood war all those years ago was only a bonus.[1]

Lost in her own thoughts, she hadn't heard what else Harry had said to the bartender to convince him to admit that Junior actually was in, but another goon was hurrying up to the offices, having just had instructions whispered into his ear from his colleague. Harry, waiting patiently, was sweeping his eyes over the damaged portions of the club. He seemed to be shaking his head slightly, almost as if he knew something more about it than she did. His gaze soon returned to the bartender who was now looking a mixture of nervous and annoyed. She found it amusing.

Before she knew it, the goon from before was back, and he motioned for Harry to follow. With a chipper smile directed at the bartender, who scowled back, he followed the other man across the dance floor and towards the offices. She wanted more than anything to know what they were going to be talking about, but couldn't think of any conceivable way to make that work. Instead, she contented herself with her decision to see what she could find out about this Harry Potter when he came back. Smoothing things over with Junior could wait.

* * *

The bouncer held the door open before him, motioning him inside. Taking a breath, Harry entered the office, the door closing with an audible click behind him, all sounds of the dance floor cutting off completely. It seemed that Junior hadn't spared any expense on soundproofing this room. He also knew this is where the man liked to hide away when he didn't want guests. A little bit of subtle magic down at the bar had been able to pick him up though like a blip on a radar.

An exceptionally large man sat behind a desk before Harry. He had short black hair with a matching beard and mustache. He wore a black vest over a white dress shirt, a red tie, black gloves and black dress pants. As the door closed, he looked up at him with intense grey eyes. This was Junior.

"You're here for Ozpin tonight I assume?" He asked gruffly.

"I'm sure you know why," Harry commented.

"Fucking Torchwick," Junior growled. "If I get my hands on him…"

"So you didn't know what he was up to?" He inquired lightly.

"Of course not! You know me better than that," the information broker's thick eyebrows scrunched together. "I don't ask any questions when I hire men out for a job, but my boys should know the rules and bail if the client crosses the line."

"Well, your boys are currently being held in police lockup from what I hear," Harry tapped his cane absentmindedly against the floor for a few seconds. "It didn't take them long to blab about working for you."

The man swore, turning around and grabbing a decanter on a shelf behind him and pouring a generous amount of amber colour liquid into a glass. He motioned to second glass as he looked at him. Harry paused for a second. Huntsman and Huntresses were considered legal adults upon their enrollment in one of the four academies and thus he could drink, but technically that wouldn't take effect until after he'd passed initiation.

"Sure, just a little," he was probably making a mistake, especially since he should be keeping his wits sharp, but what could it hurt.

Despite his best intentions, Harry couldn't help but start coughing as the liquor burned down his throat and if Junior's booming laugh was anything to go by, he made for a comical sight.

"It's hard to remember you're just a young one sometimes," Junior grinned. "At least I know there is something can still fluster you. I was starting to think I'd have to send the twins over to flirt with you a bit to get a response."

Composing himself, even if his cheeks were a little red now, he raised an eyebrow, "You assume I can't deal with girls?"

That just made Junior laugh harder, "Well maybe there's some hope for you yet, and you aren't going to grow up to be a repressed virgin like Ozpin stuck up in his tower."

"Hey! He's pretty old, I'm sure he's at least gotten… you know what? I don't even want to think about it," Harry shut down that train of thought right there. "Plus, he's a good man."

"Oh, I know he is, doesn't mean it isn't true. I'm just saying, he's got Goodwitch following him around like a puppy dog, but with how uptight she always was, you know she's not getting-"

"That's enough," Harry interrupted desperately. Sometimes he forgot that Junior was a Beacon dropout and knew all the staff. From what he'd heard, his whole team had died on a training mission gone wrong. He'd left the school after that, disappeared for a few years, only to reappear, making a name for himself in the Vale underworld. "So… about your men."

Junior's expression sobered up pretty quickly, "Bunch of useless idiots. Do you know how hard it is to find good help nowadays? Then, Torchwick just waltzes in and says he needed to rent a few of them, and none of them come back. I should've known not to trust that snake."

"So, to confirm, you didn't know that Roman Torchwick was planning on robbing a dust shop with your men, nor that they would all get involved in an altercation with a minor, a huntress in training to in fact?" Harry asked.

The large man groaned, "No, I was not aware of any of that, just like I said before. You know I wouldn't be that stupid."

Harry shrugged, "Sorry, Ozpin was just pretty specific on me reminding you why the police normally leave you alone and all that."

He sighed, "I know. I know. Trust me, I don't plan on screwing that up. It's too useful."

"From what I've heard, they are still scratching their heads over why Torchwick took just dust and left all the lien," Harry said. "Of course you could try and resell it, but just taking the money would be easier and probably more worthwhile."

"I don't know about that," Junior scratched his head. "Torchwick has been acting strange though. He mentioned something about working for someone else… about having a powerful boss… It's just not like him to work for others."

"Why would he mention that?" Harry asked, suddenly leaning forward in his seat.

"To tell you the truth, I wasn't eager to lend my men to him the first place," he admitted. "He is a notorious thief after all, and I didn't want to get mixed up in one of his crazy robberies. He insisted that he just needed some protection. I was still hesitant at that point, and then he mentioned his supposed new bosses. Really, I was hoping one of my men could get some info about them for me on the job. If someone could really tame Torchwick, they're powerful and having powerful forces moving into Vale is something to worry about."

Harry took a moment to digest that info. This was definitely something Ozpin would want to know. Junior was good at keeping crime under control in Vale, and it was due more to him than the actual police that things were so good here compared to the other kingdoms. While many saw him as a criminal himself, and that was true to an extent, he did good work in cleaning up the streets. If something was worrying him, then it was something worth looking into.

"I should probably report back to Ozpin," Harry said, standing up. "Thanks for the info, Junior."

The man grunted, "Well, it was good to see you too. I much prefer dealing with you than the old man. He likes to talk down to me as if I'm still one of his students."

Harry grinned as he shook Junior's hand. Turning to go, he made it to the door, his hand just touching the door handle when he was stopped by Junior's voice.

"Oh, and Harry, I've heard there's been a recent spike in White Fang activity in the city. It's like their all flocking here or something and as far as I can tell, they are a hell of a lot more organized than I've ever seen them."

"What do you think it means?" Harry glanced at the man over his shoulder.

"I don't know," the man met his gaze with a serious expression, "I just have a bad feeling about it. They've been growing more and more bold as time goes on. Now they are gathering in a major city in unforeseen numbers… I just don't know."

He nodded, "I'll see what I can find. You have good instincts, and if you think something is up, I'll look into it. It might be harmless though."

If his intel was correct, the Faunus leading this branch of the organization here in Vale was Adam Taurus, the same Faunus that Blake, according to her parents, had been infatuated with. He had recruited her and her parents, despite their disapproval, were confident in the fact that they might have gotten involved romantically. If Blake had just up and left, it was possible this Adam was searching for her here. That would take a certain type of personality though that he wasn't sure he possessed. He really had no info on the Faunus other than what Kali and Ghira had told him, and that wasn't much.

"There's also something else," Junior licked his lips nervously, something that had Harry feeling suddenly on edge. "It's just rumours… could be nothing really…"

"What is it?" Harry asked as the other man trailed off.

"There's been some whispers amongst those in the underground that a new player is in town. Someone is targeting huntsman and huntresses," he replied.

"What?" Harry demanded, "What do you mean targeting? Like he's trying to recruit them into their organization?"

"Like murder," he said with a grim expression. A shiver passed through his body at this news.

"Are you sure?"

"No," Junior didn't break eye contact. "As I said, it's just rumours. Normally I wouldn't give it much thought, but for some reason, I don't know why, it's not sitting right with me."

Harry sighed, massaging his forehead, "I guess I'll start looking into this too."

"Be careful," Harry glanced up at him in surprise. "Things are stirring here in Vale. The Vytal Festival is coming up, and soon all of Remnant is going to have their eyes turned here. If there's any time for things to boil over, something tells me it will be then."

"Well, I'll see what I can find out," Harry gave Junior a strained smile that probably looked more like a grimace than anything. "Thanks for the drink."

The man chuckled, "Don't mention it. You'll need to build up your tolerance before you can really drink with me though."

"Yeah, yeah," he waved away the comment with a grin, pulled the door open and exiting the office.

He was assaulted immediately by the pounding of the base from the dance floor. Letting his smile drop, Harry sighed, leaning against the wall. He pulled out his scroll.

 _ **Harry:**_ _Hey Oz, Doesn't seem like Junior knew what Torchwick was going to use his men for. Supposedly they disobeyed his orders. Maybe Torchwick paid them off? Anyway, I believe him. He doesn't want trouble with the police. Torchwick might be working for someone else though. No ideas of who on this end. Junior told me some other stuff to, best to let you know face to face. We'll need to chat after initiation._

Sending his message, he slipped the device back into his pocket. Pushing off from the wall, he started down the stairs, his mind racing. All the things he'd just heard from Junior left him feeling disquieted. It wasn't like the infamous information broker to be that nervous. Like he'd suspected, it seemed like someone might be making a play for Vale soon. That was something he and Ozpin would have to stop. That and their constant vigil against the likes of Salem. It's not like things weren't bad enough already with the assault made on Amber. The thief had yet to reveal themselves to them either, and despite Qrows arrival mitigating the damage, he hadn't got a good look at any of the assailants.

Stopping on the main floor, Harry tried to decide on his next actions. Heading back to Beacon was probably best, seeing as how he had initiation in the morning, but he wasn't looking forward to sleeping on the floor with everyone else. Eyes trailing over the bar, he couldn't help but want to try something a bit less strong than what Junior had given him. What could sneaking one more drink hurt.

Striding over to the bar, Harry paused when he realized he had no idea what to get. Maybe this wasn't the best idea. He was being foolish… he should just head back to Beacon.

"What do you want?" The bartender from earlier asked him, his face impassive.

"Uh… a beer?" Harry responded without thinking. It sounded much more like a question than a statement.

"Really?" The man's face looked much more condescending now. "I'll have to see some ID?"

"What?" Harry scowled.

"Rules are rules," he the man smirked.

This guy really was a prick. He was just trying to get back at him for going over his head earlier. The problem was, Harry technically didn't have a huntsman in training ID card until after he finished initiation and it seemed this guy knew it. That's when he would officially be considered of age. As of right now, he had a pass that showed he was enrolled at a junior combat school, or the equivalent thereof because of being privately trained by Ozpin, but that only allowed him to carry his weapon inside the Kingdom.

"I'll buy him a drink," a voice spoke from behind him. For some reason, the hairs on his back of his neck suddenly stood on end. "If he'll consider keeping a lady company that is."

Spinning around quickly, Harry took in the woman who had spoken, and she most definitely was a woman. He was pretty sure that she was in her early twenties. If he were to ever take the time to actually consider what his own concept of sensuality was, this woman would match it exactly. She sat on the bar stool, holding a long-stemmed glass, full of some kind of clear liquid and a few olives, in hand. As he was trained, his eyes scanned over her, looking for any details he'd need in case she was a deemed a threat, but he found himself having to fight down a blush instead. She was probably one of the most attractive women he'd ever met, and that was saying a something.

She was wearing a dark red dress that was cut rather short, showing off the majority of her long toned legs, crossed as they currently were. To his surprise, her high heeled shoes looked to be made of solid glass, or at least some kind of similar looking plastic. The dress hugged her body snuggly, and as his gaze travelled back up, he was quick to notice how it stretched over the curve of her hips, showing off her narrow waist. The dress cut off just under her arms, leaving her shoulders completely bare and showing just a tantalizing hint of cleavage.

She had wavy dark black hair pulled off to one side so that it fell more over her left shoulder, part of her bangs on the same side hiding the edge of one of her strikingly amber coloured eyes. Meeting her gaze, he was momentarily captivated by those eyes as they almost seemed to glow ever so slightly in the low light of the club. Managing to break the contact a moment later, he picked up on a few more details, like the faint violet eyeshadow she had applied, the bright red lipstick artfully applied to her full looking lips, the small gold hoop earring dangling from her right ear, and a black choker around her neck. She really was something.

"I guess that wouldn't be so bad," Harry ventured with a small smile. "I'll take you up on that offer."

"Wonderful," she commented, looking up at him through her eyelashes and making him gulp.

"I'm not sure if I should serve a-" the bartender began again as Harry took a seat beside his new companion. He would have thought that the man actually did care about the law if he didn't still look so smug as he said it.

"I'm sure you wouldn't want to jeopardize your bosses reputation by refusing to serve me, would you?" She spoke up again.

Her voice was just as velvety smooth as before but Harry could sense the threat inherent in it. He had a feeling this woman was not one to cross and something about that thrilled Harry. With his training as well his… other… abilities, it was not often he was around someone who made him feel like they could pose a challenge. It was almost intoxicating.

The man's response was to simply slam a small brown bottled onto the counter, before stalking off towards a sparse collection of customers down at the other end of the bar.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised at a lack of customer service from this end of town," Harry found himself saying, not really knowing how else to break the ice.

"Indeed," she said with a contented smirk, taking another sip of her own drink. "It's not usually my first choice."

Harry's eyes slipped down to follow the movement of her full red lips, but he quickly caught himself, and looked back up to meet her eyes, "Do I get to know the name of my new drinking companion?"

"Isn't it only polite to offer your own name first?" She countered, while he took a swig of his drink and did his best to hide his grimace. The beer didn't really burn going down like whatever Junior had given him before, but it wasn't exactly what he would call tasty either. Maybe drinking just wasn't for him. Who knows what Qrow saw in it?

"I guess that's fair. My name's Harry Potter," he held out his hand which she took a moment later, her smooth, and surprisingly warm, skin sliding against his own.

For the briefest of moments, Harry almost thought he saw her amber eyes flick up towards his forehead, but it was so quick he wasn't sure if he had imagined it or not. It had been a long time since someone had done that upon meeting him. He was sure it was all in his head. His scar was still there, even if it had faded more than ever, though it was mostly covered by his bangs and thus out of sight. No one on remnant, except for Ozpin and Glynda, knew the significance of it.

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Harry." releasing his hand, he found he suddenly missed the warmth it gave off. "You can call me Cinder. Cinder Fall."

"It's nice to meet you too," he took another drink of his beer. "Though, I have to ask, what made you take pity on a stranger like me?"

She shrugged with a small smile, her raven locks swaying with the motion, "Just a whim, I guess. You looked like you could use some help."

"Hey!" Harry said in mock offense. "I could've taken him if I wanted to."

Harry cringed internally. He'd said it and even he knew that had sounded cheesy. He'd been around beautiful girls his whole time at Beacon, why was he suddenly feeling so compelled to try and impress Cinder.

Luckily, she only seemed amused by his words, "I've heard that all the staff here are trained to fight. It doesn't put the odds in your favour."

"I'd like to think I'm quite competent myself," Harry responded.

"Oh?" She didn't look surprised, merely curious.

"I'm actually a huntsman in training at Beacon," he admitted.

"I figured as much," Cinder was swirling the drink in her glass around slowly at this point, though her gaze on him hadn't faltered. "It does make me question why you couldn't have just shown your ID, then?"

"I'm a first year, so technically I'm not a student until after initiation tomorrow," Harry explained more. "And how could you tell?"

Cinder looked happy to confirm that information, "It's how you carry yourself. It's easy to spot for those in the know?"

"Oh?" It was Harry's turn to raise his eyebrow. "And how are you, as you put it, in the know?"

"I'm actually a huntress in training myself, studying at Haven Academy," the woman revealed. Harry was a bit surprised at that, especially since he was still sure she was a few years older than him. Not a lot but at least twenty, he assumed.

"A bit far from Mistral at the beginning of a school year?" Harry commented.

"Because of certain circumstances, my team and I were given permission to travel to Vale ahead of the other students for the Vytal tournament. It's giving us time to acclimatize to a new Kingdom," she explained.

"I see," he waited to see if she'd expand on what that special circumstance might be but unfortunately, she didn't elaborate anymore.

"What would a new initiate at Beacon Academy be doing so far from campus the night before his initiation?" Cinder asked. "Surely it wasn't just to sneak a drink in a back alley club when you can do it legally tomorrow."

He fought down a grimace, "Let's just say I had a part-time job to take care of."

"Interesting," her lips twitched upwards again. "A little business on the side never hurt anyone, though, I will admit that I would think the staff at Beacon would not take kindly to discovering your disappearance."

Harry ran his hands through his hair, "Technically, I have a bit more leniency than most. I'm actually apprenticing directly under Headmaster Ozpin and since I sometimes run small jobs for him, I'm mostly allowed to come and go as I please."

"That's quite impressive," Cinder complimented, her eyes bright. "How did that come about?"

"It's nothing special," Harry denied. "Ozpin basically ended up adopting me several years back and started training me so it wasn't much of a surprise to those that know us."

"I'd still say that is quite the accomplishment," Cinder leaned in slightly, making Harry's eyes widen slightly, "You said he adopted you? That sounds like quite the story… if you feel comfortable sharing of course."

Harry knew Cinder expected an answer. It was easy for him to see that the last part had only been added simply because it was what was socially expected. She wanted an answer, and he had a feeling she wasn't used to being denied. He decided to humour her.

"I'm not sure exactly how it happened, but I have a bad case of amnesia. I can't remember anything before the age of eleven, and none of the doctors I've seen have any idea why," Harry began, explaining the tale he and his mentor had come up with. "The first thing I can remember is waking up in the Emerald Forest all alone and with no idea how I had gotten there."

A strange look flitted across the woman's face, but it was quickly replaced by a sympathetic look. He wasn't sure what it was about, but he had a hard time reading her.

"I can only imagine how frightening that would be," she paused for a moment as if in consideration before continuing, "I was in a similar situation once before, though without the memory loss of course."

He was a bit intrigued by that but didn't press her any further. He didn't think he'd get anything anyway, "Yes, at the time it was. It didn't help that I was attacked by a pack of beowolves shortly thereafter. I didn't even know what the beasts were at the time."

"You were able to fight off a pack of beowolves in that condition at the age of eleven?" She looked legitimately impressed at that point.

He shook his head, "No, they got me pretty good. I'm not sure how I survived as long as I did, but luckily Glynda Goodwitch, Beacon's Deputy Headmistress, found me and saved my life."

"I'm surprised to hear that you decided to become a huntsman than," she said. "Events usually scar people in more ways than one."

"I like to think it's one of the reasons for what I do actually," Harry replied.

"Oh?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I'll admit that I like to help people and that did play it a part in my decision, but it was also more than that. When I was attacked by those grimm, I felt so helpless… so powerless… and I hated it. I vowed to myself that after surviving that ordeal, I would do my best to never allow someone else to have to feel the same way that I did that day!"

Cinder seemed almost to flinch at his passionate declaration, a curiously surprised expression passing over her face for a moment. He wasn't quite sure what to think about it, but Cinder definitely seemed affected, even if her face had returned mostly to normal. There was a look in her eye though that made him think she wasn't as settled as she had been before.

"That's a... noble... goal," she acquiesced a moment later.

Harry snorted, "You can say it, whatever it is that's on your mind, you know?"

"What do you mean?" Cinder seemed caught a bit off guard.

"It's obvious you have more thoughts on my choice of profession," he said. "You don't have to hold back. I can take it, so lay it on me."

The woman in red hesitate for another moment before she began speaking, "You just took me by surprise. As I said earlier, I was in a somewhat similar experience once. I despise weakness and constantly strive never to feel that way again. I thought you were going to say something similar."[2]

"Oh, I agree. I definitely don't like feeling that way either… in fact, I don't think anyone does," Harry told her. "I just decided to direct my energy to something more productive so hopefully more people don't need to go through that same suffering. If that happens, they won't have to push themselves to the extent that I have to escape their demons. It will finally break the cycle of suffering that has gone on for so long."

"But what about yourself?" She asked intently. "Why worry so much about everyone else? If you work hard enough and become stronger than everyone else, you'll never have to fear then."

"Wouldn't it be the opposite?" Harry asked. "Once you're at the top, you become the target that everyone aims for."

Cinder's smile grew, white teeth flashing behind her lips. Something about her almost looked predatory at that moment, "If they think they can take me, let them come. As I said, I'm not the same weak little girl from my childhood. I'm ready for them."

Harry shook his head, smiling nevertheless, "Despite what I've said, that doesn't mean I don't want to become strong for myself too. I'm also aiming for the top."

"Even if you'd have to face me?" She asked.

"Even if I have to face you," Harry replied, not even having to think it over. "I won't hold back. Anything else would be an insult. I'll give it my all."

Cinder's eyes almost seemed to flare at his challenge, "Good."

Throwing back the rest of her drink, she set it back on the counter, her lips curving up even further. There was something hungry about the smile she gave him at that moment. Making a motion with her hand, she ordered another round of drinks for them.

"So," she brushed a few strands of hair away from her eye. "What's it been like growing up with the famous Headmaster Ozpin?"

"Not a fan?" Harry asked, noticing the odd expression on her face when she asked the question.

"Oh no," her smile looked a bit strained to his eyes. "I've never met him."

"I see," he was pretty sure there was more there, but he didn't push. "Well, things were pretty good I guess. It definitely isn't a traditional life, but those are overrated anyway."

"Oh? Not one to want to settle down in a normal little family?" She asked.

Harry shrugged, "No, that's something I definitely think I want someday. I meant more that living a life conforming solely to others expectations of normality would be boring."

"You're a rebel, then?" Cinder looked a mixture of intrigued and amused. He had a feeling she was trying to figure him out.

Harry laughed, "I'm not sure if I'd call it that, but you can go with that if you'd like. It's got an ok ring to it."

"I will admit, that kind of personality is not what I would have expected from Ozpin's apprentice," her expression shifted indiscernible. "So he made a good parent?"

He frowned, "I don't know if I'd call him a parent, don't get me wrong, he is definitely a father-like figure in my life, but I still wouldn't call him a parent. He's my teacher… my mentor… it's the kind of quality he gives off perfectly."

"And that was enough for you as a child?" She asked.

Harry wanted to scoff, he'd gotten by with a lot less before he'd met Ozpin. He spoke without thinking, "Well, it was better than my so-called relatives before."

There was a momentary pause, "I thought you said you had amnesia from before?"

 _Shit._

Harry froze up. He'd never slipped up on his story before… how could he do that now? Why had he let his guard down so far? He needed an out… he needed something...

"From what Glynda said based on finding me, there's a good chance my previous guardians abandoned me in the forest to die, so I can assume they weren't very good," Harry tried for a confident look, but he wasn't sure he'd pulled it off.

"But you don't know that for sure?" Cinder countered.

He paused before letting out a sigh, "I've had a few flashbacks."

"Really?" For a moment, her expression almost looked triumphant, but Harry wasn't sure why that might be. "Why say you don't remember anything then?"

"I… I haven't told anyone else about the flashbacks before," Harry came up with this new story on the spot. "They've already said that they don't know what caused the amnesia in the first place, so I don't want to go through more tests for no reason."

There was a knowing glint in her eye that made him nervous, "Then why tell me? Someone you've just met?"

"I guess I just find myself trusting you," Cinder's eye's widened ever so slightly for a moment, looking surprised, but it was gone a moment later.

"Lucky me," she went back to her signature smirk, but that too faded away a moment later. "So from your flashbacks… you… didn't get along with your relatives."

Harry sighed, resisting the urge to run his hands through his hair as he thought about what he wanted to say, eventually settling on pieces from his life back on Earth, "From the little bits I remember, I lived with my aunt, uncle, and cousin."

"You're parents?" She began, once again making him feel self-conscious as he thought he saw her eyes flick towards his forehead, but he knew he was just being paranoid.

"I don't know," he lied. "I assume that they are dead if I was living with other relatives."

"I'm sorry," she said sounding sincere.

"It's ok. I don't remember them," he answered truthfully. He'd never known anything true about his parents until he'd met Hagrid and hadn't even known what they looked like until he'd seen them in that damn magical mirror before it had sent him here to Remnant. "There's been many good people that have taken care of me since then."

Again, something flashed in Cinder's eyes that he couldn't quite place, "Except for your Aunt and Uncle."

"Yeah," he frowned. "I… I think they were religious. They hated ma- aura…"

"Aura?" She raised one of her dark eyebrows.

"Well, unlocking it that is. They thought it was unnatural and as a result they hated huntsmen. Called them freaks," Harry laughed humorously. "Guess it didn't help that I wanted to be one."

Cinder's gaze burned into him intently, "I think I might understand."

"Oh? In what way?" He was honestly curious now, but as was with most things with this woman, they seemed destined to remain a mystery.

Sliding gracefully onto her feet, Harry wondered for a second if she was leaving… if he had pushed her too far. He was surprised at the pang of disappointment that the thought gave him.

"I hope your training included how to dance," her voice caressed his ears as she passed, her hand brushing against his arm and leaving what felt like a trail of fire in her wake.

Harry sat there stupefied, only snapping back to attention a moment later. Jumping to his feet, he looked around, his eyes catching sight her slim form disappearing into the somewhat crowded dance floor. Eyes following the gentle, yet alluring, sway of her hips, Harry made it halfway there before he realized what he was doing.

Dancing? Did he really want to do that? His training had actually included such lessons for the occasional state dinner he'd attended with Ozpin, but he didn't think ballroom dancing would fit in here. Despite that, he didn't falter. The sight of the beautiful raven-haired woman waiting for him was drawing him in like a magnet.

Closing the distance between them, Harry wasn't even sure how he got through the crowd. He'd caught Cinder's eye from afar and had just started moving after that. People could have been prostrating themselves before him for all he knew; he wouldn't have even noticed.

It wasn't until he'd arrived and after she'd gave him a lazy wink, her eyes already half-lidded, that everything else suddenly came back to him. The crowd surrounded them tightly, swaying and jumping to the bounding bass that echoed through the building. It was almost like the heartbeat of some giant beast he couldn't see, and it seemed to bring out some primal urge to move from within him.

Cinder had started to move, her hips swaying to the music in such a way that stretched her short dress even further, giving him tantalizing glimpses of her upper thighs and the curve of her ass. Feeling his own temperature start to rise, Harry's eyes darted around him briefly, but he relaxed when he realized that his actions were mostly hidden in the low light.

He began to move too. He didn't figure he was anywhere near as graceful as the vision in front of him, but it still felt good. Lost in the pounding beat, the flashing lights, and the energy of the moment, Harry forgot his worries. As the hour grew later, the club continued to fill, pressing the crowd together even more. This had the effect of pushing his new companion in even closer and before Harry knew what was happening, Cinder had wrapped her arms around his neck, continuing her previous actions.

"It seems your skills are satisfactory," she smiled. Despite the noise, her words still managed to find their way into his ear.

"I'm glad you approve," he murmured back.

Everywhere their skin touched felt like it connected with an electric shock. He could feel her breath, hot against his cheek as she moved before him, though none of that was what was at the forefront of his mind. Through all this time, he'd barely taken his eyes away from hers for even a second. It was already apparent to him that he could lose himself in the molten depths of her gaze if he let himself. She was incredibly sexy, there was no doubt about, but beyond the superficials, there was something strangely intimate about this non-verbal exchange they had engaged in with their eyes.

He hadn't even noticed that they had both moved… starting to lean in until their foreheads touched. There was a moment, only a second, where they both paused on the precipice of something greater. Harry knew this was a key moment in whatever it was that was between them. They'd barely even known each other for an hour, but something about her drew him in. He didn't want to second guess at it anymore, so taking the initiative, he closed the remaining inches between them, pressing his lips to hers.

For a moment, she didn't move, and Harry was just starting to worry that he'd made a mistake when he felt something strange. He couldn't be sure, especially with the volume of the music, but he was pretty sure she had growled into his mouth, suddenly returning the motion with twice the intensity. It was as if she were a person starved who had suddenly been presented with a grand feast. Without any thought on his actions, he slipped his hands onto the sides of her hips, feeling her curves through the thin material of her dress.

Trying to match the movements of her lips only seemed to add fuel to her fire. He didn't think he could catch up to her even if he tried. Like a fool, he'd created the spark and now he had no chance of outrunning the resulting flames. Tongue slipping into his mouth without waiting for permission, the slippery appendage swept across its new domain. Pushing back, Harry couldn't help but feel like this was more like a duel of blades than a kiss. That being said, the intensity that this type of exchange brought was much greater than what he was used to.

Tightening his grip on her hips, he pulled her closer. Her whole mouth vibrating with what he hoped was a noise of approval, she threaded her hands through his hair, pulling on it slightly at the back, drawing a gasp from his mouth. Shifting so that she could brush her leg up against him, Harry was pretty sure she could feel the physical proof of his arousal. That was a proven true a moment later when Cinder finally broke the connection between them and pulled back just enough so that he could see her face. The self-satisfied expression on her face gave him all the evidence he needed. She was proud of what she had done and wanted him to know it.

"Competitive, aren't you?" Harry said in a low voice.

Cinder just looked amused, "What can I say? I like to win."

Untangling her arms from around his neck, but keeping them raised, she stepped back. Relinquishing his own grip, he watched as she restarted her earlier dance. Running her hands through her own dark wavy hair, it exposed her slender neck and the choker around it to his gaze.

Harry wasn't without experience with girls. He'd dated before, but there was something about this girl… this woman… that was different. Maybe that was it. She only had two, maybe three years on him, and yet she was most definitely a woman, not a teenage girl. She had a sensuality to her that was beyond that which he was used to dealing with.

With one last heated glance, she spun around, only to lean back into him in the next moment. Even taken off guard, Harry was starting to get better at going with the flow of this unexpected night. Slipping his hands around her waist, he rested his palms flat against the soft yet toned expanse of her stomach. Allowing his arms to move along with her, he gasped as her soft flesh of her behind ground into him, creating a glorious friction down below.

Moving his face in towards her neck, he nuzzled past her raven locks, placing a slow kiss against her hot skin. It was something he was just coming to notice, but everything about her seemed warmer than usual, including her skin. He wasn't sure if she was always like this or it was just a byproduct of standing amongst so many people. Either way, it somehow seemed fitting. Taking a deep breath, a spicy and smoky scent tickled his nostrils just like the strands of her hair were currently doing.

Harry lingered in that position, drawing out his ministrations, as Cinder continued to move against him. Much like he'd felt he'd done for her earlier, she had lit a fire within him, and it only continued to grow and grow in his core as they lost themselves in their own little world. Harry hadn't even thought about where all of this was leading, too much focused on what Cinder was doing now, but it seemed she had been planning ahead.

Finally, breaking away from him after an unknown amount of time, she turned to face him once again. There was a tinge of pink on her cheeks, but not in the way one would expect. It looked like it was more from exertion than any kind of embarrassment. Harry had a feeling that Cinder didn't operate with the same level of modesty as most.

Tugging on his one hand, she began to lead him off the dance floor, back towards where they had originally come from. It looked like she was heading back towards the bar, but she stopped a while away from it. A look of distaste flickered across her face, and Harry followed her gaze to see the bartender from before.

"I'm not really in the mood to deal with that again," the woman asked. "Would you be up to joining me for another drink in my hotel. It should be better than what we'll find here."

Harry's eyes widened. He was pretty sure there was more implied with that question than was on the surface. He wasn't a virgin by any means, but he'd never been invited back to a woman's hotel before either.

"That sounds lovely," he replied. "Is it far? I have my motorcycle here."

She grinned, "That saves me from calling a cab, then. And no, it's not far."

Moving across the floor and towards the exit, Harry couldn't help but match her grin. Stepping out into the night, the music faded away behind them, though the faint pounding of the base was still audible to him. Though it was the tail end of the summer, the night air was still cooler than inside the club, and it served to sober him up a bit. He hadn't even realized it, but it seems like the alcohol had a bit more of an effect on him than he'd expected. Consciously activating his aura for a moment, he felt the remaining effects of the drink fade away. It was actually pretty hard for those with an active aura to get themselves good and properly drunk for any extended period of time. It was one of the reasons Qrow drank so much, and also the reason why it didn't kill him.

Leading Cinder over towards where he parked, Harry felt his nerves start to flare up a bit. He was a little embarrassed for basically grinding up against her in public, something that wasn't usually his style, but that wasn't that big of a deal. Embarrassment he could live with easily enough. He was more focused on how easily he'd let his story crumble around Cinder. He'd been living this lie for years and hadn't slipped up before. What had happened this time? Was it the alcohol? Is that all it took? Get a few drinks in him, and everything falls apart? He'd have to be careful in the future.

A laugh from beside him drew him out of his thoughts, "Quite subtle, I see."

They had reached his bike.

He'd been able to deal with Coco saying basically the same thing about his outfit no problem, but for some reason, Cinder's comment made him flush. He did his best to play it off nonchalantly, "You did see my clothes, right?"

"I suppose," she gave him an exaggerated once over. "If I'm already being saddled with your presence, this can't make it much worse I guess."

Climbing onto the motorcycle, Harry craned his neck to look at her, smirking, "I thought you were the one who invited me? Anyway, are you getting on?"

Her eyes narrowed though he didn't think she was actually upset. Strutting up behind him, she threw her leg over the bike gracefully. The short and tight lower half of her dress was stretched to its max and pushed upward even farther than before. He caught a quick glimpse of black lace but quickly averted his eyes, and did his best to calm himself down as she moved closer, pressing her wonderful curves up against his back.

Arms snaking around his waist, her lips came up close to his ear once again, "I'm starting to wonder if you planned all of this just so that I'd have to push myself all over you."

Coughing violently after nearly choking on his own saliva in a sudden intake of breath at her whispered words, Harry tried to regain control of himself. "Would you blame me if I did?"

He tried to play it cool, but he didn't think it quite worked with how his voice came out a couple of octaves higher than he'd intended. She chuckled lowly in his ear before pulling back a bit. Turning the key in the ignition, it roared to life. He was pleased to hear the small gasp behind him.

Taking off, he pulled into the street and pushed the bike to accelerate. It didn't take too long to get to where Cinder was staying, following her directions along the way. With their destination in sight, he quickly found a place to park and allowed his companion to pull him after her. Passing through the sliding front doors, he didn't pay the lobby any attention, too focused on the woman beside him.

They rode the elevator up, the number of floors he wasn't sure, exiting with Cinder as the doors slide open with a small ding. Following her down the hall, she stopped outside one of the doors. Figuring this was her room, he went to ask as much when she spun around and surprised him by pulling him into another kiss. Only too happy to oblige, his hands wrapped around her again, pulling her closer as she did her best to devour his mouth.

"Cinder! How did it go wi-" Neither of them had even heard the door across the hall open until someone had started speaking.

Breaking apart quickly, Harry though a bit flustered, managed to take in the dark-skinned girl standing in the open doorway. She had straight cut mint green coloured hair that had two long locks just visible at the back, though the what drew his attention the most was her dark red eyes, something that was quite unusual. He'd seen Yang angry before, including the crimson colour her eyes would turn when that was the case, but they weren't nearly as dark as this girl's.

"Emerald!" Cinder barked.

"Cinder, I… I… what are yo-" She stuttered.

"It's none of your business!" Glancing at Cinder, he resisted the urge to shiver at her expression. She looked pissed. In fact, if he didn't know any better, he'd say she was currently trying to burn this girl with her glare alone. "I'm busy. Leave us."

The another stammered apology, the green haired girl retreated into her room, not before throwing a quick glare his way that had him scratching his head in confusion. A small click from behind caught his attention, and he saw Cinder pulling her scroll away from a scanning pad on the wall. The door swung open.

Following her inside, he shut the door behind him before spinning to face her, "Well, that was a bit awkward. Is she one of your tea- _oomf._ "

The rest of his question was lost as she forced him up against the door. For a second, he almost thought he was being attacked, something he soon realized was true, but not in the way he'd initially thought. Cinder was just continuing her earlier actions in a much more aggressive fashion.

Returning her fervor with equal measure and with one arm back around her waist, his other hand found its way to run through her soft raven hair. His cane thudded against the floor as it slipped from his hand. Feeling her teeth nipping almost painfully at his lower lip, his hand tightened reflexively on her hair, pulling back firmly on her head. She went with the motion with a small gasp, trying to create some slack. Using this chance, Harry pushed back, this time it was her back that impacted the wall. Before she could react, he moved down to kiss at her exposed neck just above the choker affixed there. It wasn't a very common fashion accessory, but somehow it seemed to work for her.

Busying himself with that for a moment, he couldn't help but let out a little yelp as one of her free hands somehow snaked its way downwards, squeezing gently in his more intimate areas. Taking advantage of his distraction, just like he'd done to her earlier, she, with a surprising amount of strength, managed to reverse their positions once again. Pressed up against the wall, Cinder yanked his coat from his shoulders, throwing it to the floor beside them before crashing her mouth into his once again.

The promise of a shared drink forgotten, Harry too allowed his hands to trail down her back, seeking out something below, but unfortunately for him, he was interrupted as he stopped to allow Cinder to pull his shirt up over his head. Years earlier, he would have been ashamed to allow anyone to see this much of his skin.

It wasn't like he was covered in scars or horribly disfigured though. While Vernon hadn't been afraid to smack him around a bit, he'd never been permanently harmed. The reason he would have been embarrassed was that he'd used to be uncomfortably thin. He'd never been fed properly at the Dursleys, and it had been evident with the way his ribs used to be visible on his small frame. Fortunately, that was a thing of the long past. Years of proper nutrition, exercise, and of course and an unlocked aura had done wonders for his physical health. He was quite fit and had built up some noticeable muscle definition, even if he wasn't physically that big.

Even with that knowledge about himself, it was still a nice ego boost to hear the small noise of approval that escaped Cinder's throat as she splayed her hand across the toned muscles of his stomach. Trailing her warm touch down lower, she tugged at his pants, popping the button out impatiently and pulling the zipper downwards. The next few moments compromised of her practically tearing his pants and boxers away from his body.

Unable to resist any longer, Harry yanked Cinder closer once again, his hands finally sliding down over the curve of her ass. Hands squeezing the soft flesh found there, he finally clearly heard that growl he'd thought he'd heard back in the club. It was a low sound from the back of her throat, and it was only as she was already moving towards him that he finally clued in that it seemed to be a precursor to almost every time she tried to attack his mouth. Meeting her in a heated kiss once again, he gasped against her lips as he felt her hand close around his length. Her grip wasn't too strong or anything like that, but there was a firmness in her hold that clearly told Harry that she was planning on being the dominant one in this exchange.

For reasons he couldn't quite explain, a competitive urge seemed to rise up inside of him at that moment. He wasn't sure if he really wanted just to allow Cinder to have her way. Acting on this without a second thought, he yanked up on the bottom seam of her short dress, pushing the material so that it was bunched up over her stomach. The left her lower half completely uncovered, except for the thin black pair panties she was wearing.

Cinder broke away, looking, for the first time that night, completely shocked. That wore off quickly, however, as her expression turned dangerous. It wasn't dangerous as in he feared for his safety, but more in that he had somehow egged her on even more. He had a feeling he was going to pay for that. Freezing up like a gazelle that had just realized it was under the scrutiny of a hungry lion, Harry waited to see what would happen next, not wanting to admit to himself that he found the situation exciting. He didn't even have to wait as long as he expected before she made her move. It was quickly apparent that his brief surge of resistance wasn't going to be very long-lived.

Reattaching herself to his lips, Cinder hoisted herself upwards at the same time, wrapping her perfectly shaped legs around his waist. Stumbling under this new burden, she wrenched him around so that he hit the back of his legs on something hard. Losing his balance completely, he fell backward, unable to brace himself since his arms were full. Luckily he felt his back sink into the soft mattress of the bed a second later instead of smacking into the hard floor.

Catching his breath for a moment, Harry looked up at Cinder who was already straddling his hips. One hand was braced on his best for balance, amber eyes burning into his own as they rested there. Cinder grabbed the edge of her dress, slowly and sensually pulling it the rest of the way up over her head. He held his breath as, with deliberate slowness, her breasts were revealed to his sight, bouncing softly. Eyes roaming over their curves, he couldn't help but think they were perfect. They were probably a bit larger than average, just more than a handful each, yet not overly large either, with small red nipples standing at attention on the tip of each snowy mound.

"Like what you see?" She asked, her voice sinfully sweet, as she ground up against him.

Biting his lip, ignoring the small flash of pain as he hit the same spot Cinder had bitten him earlier, he pushed back up against her, trying to increase the contact between them, but that only made her tut softly. "So impatient…"

This time it was him that growled. There was no way he could use some magic here, but he was suddenly seriously thinking of using his semblance to help him get the upper hand.

"I guess I can give you what you want," she ran her tongue over her full red lips. "You've been so good tonight."

Slipping her underwear off her legs slowly, as if just to tease him, Cinder got back into position again. Gripping him at his base, she lined herself up, making sure to meet his gaze once more. She slowly began to lower herself down and Harry's eyes nearly rolled up to the back of his head at the sensation. They were just starting and it already felt amazing. She was tight… so very tight, and soft like velvet, slick, and warm… almost unnaturally so. It was like all his senses were suddenly turned up to 200%. Both of them groaned out loud as they connected. Cinder finally stopping when he was all the way in. They were both breathing heavily at this point, but neither of them had broken eye contact. Ever since he'd first met Cinder earlier that night, he'd felt like she was fire incarnate... now he was certain of it. Despite everything they say, he knew he was toying with said fire, but he just couldn't help it. He just hoped this wouldn't burn him in the end.

"Are you good?" Harry breathed out, looking at her in concern.

Something indescribable flickered over face at that moment, but she composed herself quickly, the teasing glint back in her eye, "Me? Are you sure I'm not too much to handle for you?"

"Oh, I know you are too much to handle," Harry quipped. "But if it's all the same to you, I'd like to try anyway."

"It seems you're getting a little ch-" she raised herself up, stopping for a second before plunging back down to both of their pleasure. "-ch-cheeky."

The last word came out in a bit of a gasp based on her actions at the time. Copying her previous actions a few more times, she finally seemed to find her groove. Hand still on his chest, as if to hold him down, she began rolling her hips back and forth, her perky breasts bouncing enticingly with each movement. It felt amazing, the way her slick walls gripped and stimulated all the right areas, he couldn't but buck up against her every once in a while.

Having an idea, Harry planned another thrust of hips for just the right moment, making sure hit the little bundle of nerves at the top of her lower lips. Cinder gasped again, her eyes fluttering shut as her core muscles suddenly contracted. Taking his chance, Harry finally laid his hands on her perfect looking breasts. Squeezing the one softly, he couldn't but gently flick his thumb over her other nipple, enjoying how it seemed to harden even further under his touch.

Grabbing his hands, Cinder forced them back over his head, now leaning more directly over top of him, "Enjoying yourself?"

Instead of answering, Harry's eyes slipped back down to her breasts. Much like the famous Greek myth of Tantalus from his home world, her breasts hung like ripened fruits just above his head. Right there, tempting him, yet still out of reach. Twisting his arms and kicking out his legs, he knocked out the limbs supporting her, causing her to fall towards him. He caught her before they collided, and then purposely tangling their legs together, he rolled them over so he was on top.

Moving his head down immediately, he flicked his tongue along her hardened nipples. Giving the peak a kiss, the little nub was sucked inside his lips, brushing ever so light over the front face of his teeth. Cinder shuddered below him at the feeling. Smirking, he pushed himself up onto his elbows so that he could look down on her face. He was proud to see a healthy flush on her cheeks.

"What are you going to do now?" She asked, the challenge clear in her tone even at this moment.

"Oh, you know," he shrugged as best as he could in that position, giving her a smile before leaning down to meet her for another kiss on the lips, thrusting his hips forward at the same time. They both gasped into each other's mouths, and Harry picked up speed. Pumping his hips, yet keeping their torsos close, Harry marveled at the heat that came off her skin onto his. It hadn't been long at all, and he could already feel that familiar pressure building up in his core, but he held off as best as he could.

With both of them starting to breathe heavily, their foreheads resting close together, Harry moved his mouth down a bit to do something he was pretty sure Cinder had enjoyed earlier. Kissing along her neck once again and up near her ears, Harry heard her gasp. Back arched up with her bed sheets clenched in her fists, making the single most erotic thing Harry had ever seen, he felt her start contract and squeeze around him. That's all it took for him to burst. His whole body stiffened as he rode the wave of pleasure higher and higher before it all came crashing back down and he momentarily fell into oblivion.

He came fully back to awareness only a moment later, somehow having shifted off of Cinder to lay on his back, still breathing heavily. She didn't seem to be much better, though she was the first to recover, rolling alluringly onto her side. She made no move to cover herself, seemingly unconcerned by the fact Harry could run his eyes all over her body if he wished, but he guessed that was to be expected after what they'd just done. It was more to do with the fact that he had a feeling she could stand like that in the middle of a whole crowd of people without flinching. Not because she wanted to, but because she just seemed to have that particular kind of unshakable confidence.

"You're not the most modest are you?" Harry broke the silence.

"Would you rather that I covered up?" She made no indications of movement, watching him through her eyelashes.

"Not at all," he grinned. "I was just making an observation."

"I see," reaching out, she ran her finger slowly across his chest. "Making an observation of my own, I'll say you did better than I expected."

"Really?" He felt his grin widening. "You were too bad yourself."

"Don't get cocky though," her half-lidded amber eyes seemed to glow in the low light.

"Okay… okay," Harry fell back onto the pillow, allowing himself to relax, shooting up a moment later an important thought came to mind. "Wait! Are you on birth cont-"

"It's taken care of," she cut him off, an unreadable look on her face.

"Right… that's good," Harry trailed off awkwardly, feeling stupid for not asking beforehand.

Seeing her relax back, Harry allowed himself to do the same. Looking satisfied and for a moment like she was actually letting her guard down, he felt content. Feeling the usual post sex drowsiness set in, he closed his eyes, only intending to rest for a moment before finding his way back to Beacon to sleep before initiation… however, before he knew it, he had already fallen asleep.


End file.
